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India cricket team backs out of Dubai tour

The Indian cricket team is backing out of a tour to Dubai in September, to play a series of one-day matches against arch rivals Pakistan.

Gulf News quoted sources in the Dubai Cricket Council, which is to organise the tournament, as saying that Pakistan had confirmed participation, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India said the Indian team was not available for the tour.

BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele told the newspaper, ''We have received a request from the DCC but we cannot accept the offer. We have written to the DCC, stating our refusal.''

DCC officials had recently flown to India and met BCCI president A C Muthaiah and Lele to invite the Indian team for participation in the tournament.

The officials had also approached the Sri Lankan Cricket Board, hoping that if India and Lanka accepted the invitation they could host a triangular tournament.

The newspaper said that according to information from Pakistan, the Pakistani team was ready to play in Dubai on their way back from Toronto, where they are to play a one-day series against India.

The DCC has received support from the Asian Cricket Council for organising the tournament. The one-day matches will be organised as part of the development programme of the ACC.

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Gen Tauqir Ahmed, who is also head of the ACC, has agreed to support organisation of the tournament in Dubai.

UNI