KARACHI, 7 November 2003 — The growing prospects of the Indian cricket team touring Pakistan next year in March-April has already started to put the organizers of other sporting and cricket events scheduled in the same time frame under pressure.
A Pakistan Cricket Board official confirmed on Tuesday that the Sharjah-based Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) had conveyed that they wanted to now host their annual tournament in February 2004 instead of April.
“The CBFS have informed us of their change in plan and this is primarily because they can’t have their event if India tours Pakistan in March-April,” the official said.
More significantly the organizers of the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games which are scheduled from March 29 to April 7 in Islamabad are also now having a rethink on the dates.
A source in the SAF Games secretariat confirmed that there was a possibility that the regional games might be delayed by a week or two until the Indians cricket tour of Pakistan is completed.
“Obviously a lot of money is involved in hosting the SAF Games and we realize there is a saturation point in the market as far as sponsorship and advertising is concerned. We can’t hope to compete with a Indo-Pak cricket match on either television or in the market it is a clash we can’t afford,” the source stated.
The Indian Olympic association has confirmed its willingness to send a contingent to the SAF Games and now with the Indian government also clearing full sporting ties with Pakistan, the SAF games organizers are hopeful of a full attendance in the regional meet that has been hit in recent years due to the strained Indo-Pak relations.
