The revised schedule for the upcoming Australia – Pakistan series has been declared. Five ODIs and a Twenty20 will be played in the UAE between April 22 and May 7. The first two ODIs will be played in Dubai and the rest in Abu Dhabi, with the teams returning to Dubai for the Twenty20 game. This series has been on the anvil in cricket news since the Australian tour of Pakistan was cancelled in March 2008, which they agreed to postpone having the tour taking place in two parts: one day matches in 2009 and Tests in 2010.

The rearrangement of the series has been welcomed by some sections while it has been decried by others. “It is great news that Pakistan and Australia will play here. It is a great opportunity to welcome our cricket heroes and watch two of the best teams in the world play. I am sure there will be a huge number of people eager to go and watch the matches live,” said Akram Farooqi, expatriate Pakistani businessman and cricket fan living in Dubai.

Another expatriate from Lahore, Pakistan currently residing in Dubai is thinks that if the Sri Lankan team and players can be safe, so can the Aussie players. “It is a disgrace. The Sri Lankan team is playing in Pakistan right now and there has been no kind of security problem. Australia should come and play in Pakistan. It would improve our international credibility.” He did however concede that this was good news for those residing in the UAE since there is a huge cricket following there.

Haji Nawaz, who moved to the UAE in 1976, agreed that the upcoming series in the UAE would be great for cricket lovers there. “Many Pakistani people will watch the matches. They will be very popular. Everyone will want to watch and will look forward to the cricket.”

The Aussie expat community is UAE is also elated that they would get a chance to see international cricket action and more particularly the Aussie live in action. According to Eddie Stachow, investment adviser in Abu Dhabi, originally from Canberra, “I think it is great news. I know that the Australian community will be thrilled that they are going to get a chance to see their team play here. I don’t think it detracts from the series, the fact that they will not be playing in Pakistan.”

He echoed a lot of sentiments when he said “Pakistan have had a lot of fixtures cancelled because of the security situation there. It is much better to have it here than not have the series at all,” since this is a compromise that is better than the Pakistani team getting to play no international cricket at all!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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