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MCC breaks new ground to sponsor Australia v Pakistan

The MCC will sponsor an international series for the first time in its 223-year history when Australia and Pakistan play in England in July.

MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw said the move to fund the Lord's and Headingley Tests, and Twenty20 games at Edgbaston is a non-profit initiative.

"We feel to some degree that we are the conscience of the game," said Bradshaw.

Pakistan have been forced to play abroad because security issues prevent them from staging matches at home.

Bradshaw added: "We'll do whatever we can to help Pakistan. We have a role to play across the globe.

"We are supporting the series in a financial way with financial contributions.

"For us this is very much a not-for-profit exercise. It's about assisting Pakistan and spreading the word."

And Bradshaw claimed the Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns England's home of cricket, Lord's, is open to the possibility of hosting a Test between Pakistan and India.

"We have certainly thought about future matches but I can't say we have had any formal discussions," he stated.

"India are touring here next year so the prospect of an India-Pakistan neutral Test at Lord's is certainly an attractive one but it's not one we have had any official talks on to this point.

"It's probably not for the MCC to be involved in the negotiations, I guess they would be between India, Pakistan and the England and Wales Cricket Board, but I would say our doors are open and we would love to see that cricket come here."

Pakistan Cricket Board marketing manager Tariq Hakim said the July series would be a "test case as a neutral venue".

Hakim said: "The United Arab Emirates has been our only neutral venue to date but the Pakistan Cricket Board is looking for other venues.

"The indications are that we have succeeded and that we will use England in future matches also because of the huge expatriate crowds.

Umar Akmal latest Pak cricketer to join ever-growing injury list

Lahore: Young middle-order batsman Umar Akmal is the latest Pakistani cricketer to have suffered an injury during the ongoing preparatory camp for the upcoming ICC World Championship starting on April 30 in the West Indies.

Pakistan`s hope of defending their T20 title suffered a scare when Umar developed a side sprain, but luckily the injury was not serious.

Captain Shahid Afridi confirmed that Umar`s injury was not of a serious nature, and the batsman would return to the nets soon.

"Umar is getting troubled by the injury because it becomes painful when he bats which is why he is not attending the nets," The News quoted Afridi, as saying, who himself is nursing a finger injury.

The ongoing training camp here, is proving to be tough on the players, as many of them have suffered injuries. n a bid to improve the fielding skills of players, coach Waqar Younis is making the team undergo a tough training schedule, which has resulted in injuries to many players.

While skipper Afridi is already out of action, fast bowler Umar Gul, who has been struggling with form and fitness in the recent past, is also nursing an injury.

All rounders Fawad Alam and Yasir Aarafat are also on the injury list.

Afridi said the team management is planning to slow down the pace of training at the camp to give players time for rejuvenation before leaving for the West Indies.

"We will switch to lighter training in the final phase of the camp so that the players are fresh when we leave home to play the Twenty20 World Cup," Afridi said.