Pakistan wants to host India for test series

The Pakistan Cricket Board wants to host India in January to give a strong message to terrorists after at least 119 people died in coordinated attacks across Mumbai.

"Wherever they (terrorist) are, it will send them a clear message that cricket goes on," PCB chairman Ejaz Butt said Friday.

International cricket was virtually halted in India on Thursday after the deadly attacks in Mumbai. The England cricket team returned home, the Champions League Twenty20 tournament was postponed and unofficial Indian Cricket League matches were halted.

India is scheduled to play three test matches, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international during its Jan. 4 to Feb.19 tour of Pakistan.

Butt was scheduled to travel to India on Dec. 2 for meetings with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

"My tour has been canceled because of this new situation but I hope to meet the BCCI officials during Asian Cricket Council meeting in Colombo (on Dec. 5)," Butt said.

However, Butt believes the Indian and Pakistan governments will ultimately decide whether the India tour of Pakistan goes ahead.

"The issue of security is not in our (PCB) hands and the final decision on the tour could now only be taken at government level," Butt said.

Butt had twice met with the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad during the last 10 days, but after terrorist attacks in Mumbai, he said the scenario has changed.

"We had high hopes (of the tour), but after Mumbai's incident we don't know, we have to wait and see," Butt said.

Butt did not rule out the possibility of hosting the series at a neutral venue in case India refuses to tour Pakistan due to its security concerns.

"We have to look that we do not suffer huge financial losses in case we play at a neutral venue because in the past we had a bad experience," Butt said, referring to Pakistan's series at a neutral venues against the West Indies and Australia in 2002.

"We have to make sure that we avoid huge losses and then play offshore. Our team has not played a single test match this year and we need to organize some international cricket for our players."

Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are possible neutral venues to host a Pakistan-India series.

Pakistan will end this year without playing a test match as Australia postponed its March tour due to security concerns.

The Champions Trophy in September was also postponed after five out of eight participating countries had reservations about sending teams to Pakistan.