India not to tour Pakistan for three ODIs

The Indian board has decided to reject Pakistan's proposal for a three-match one-day tour in mid-March. The Pakistan board had requested the BCCI for a series once the Australian tour was shortened but India felt their players' schedule was too tight to accommodate another tour.

"The players have had a long and strenuous tour of Australia and will return only on March 8 or 9," Niranjan Shah, the board secretary told Cricinfo. "They have to assemble for the South Africa series on March 22. So it will be really tough to play three ODIs in between."

The series had been under discussion between the two boards following the hesitancy shown by Australia in coming to Pakistan as scheduled in March-April. It was decided recently that Australia's tour - if it goes ahead - would be considerably shortened. Pakistan were then keen to utilise the free period in the first half of March.

The Pakistan board, it is learnt, were confident that the tour would go ahead and had already began preparations for the three games, all scheduled for Lahore. The decision from the BCCI - taken by the office bearers today - was conveyed to the PCB chairman, Nasim Ashraf, by his Indian counterpart, Sharad Pawar.

However, India are likely to tour Pakistan for a short one-day series before the Champions Trophy in September-October.