Karachi to host South Africa for warm-up, Test

South Africa will play a Test and a warm-up match in Karachi, a venue where they refused to play for security fears four years ago. The itinerary for their tour was announced by the PCB and includes two Tests, a three-day match and five ODIs..

Karachi missed out on a number of Test matches in the aftermath of the September 11attacks due to security fears, but the city has gradually found itself back on the cricket map. India paved the way by playing an ODI there on their groundbreaking 2003-04 tour and then agreed to play a Test last year at the venue. England played an ODI in the city in 2005 while the West Indies played a Test last winter.

There was some concern whether South Africa would agree to play here after over 40 people were killed in May in the city's worst political violence for some years. "The South Africans showed no reservations in playing in Karachi and approved the city as the venue for a warm-up match and for a Test," Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer, PCB, said.

South Africa are also scheduled to play an ODI in Peshawar, where teams have refused to play due to its close proximity to Afghanistan.

Pakistan had to play their home series against Australia and the West Indies at neutral venues in 2001 and 2002 as both teams refused to tour the country over security fears. New Zealand agreed to tour in 2002 but were forced to cut it short after a bomb blast near their hotel killed 14 people. South Africa then refused play any match in Karachi on their tour in 2003 following a bomb blast before they arrived.

The tourists arrive in the last week of September and open the Test series with the first Test in Karachi from October 1.

Itinerary:
Sep 25 or 26 - South Africa team arrive in Karachi
Sep 27 - Three-day match in Karachi
Oct 1-5 - 1st Test, Karachi
Oct 8-12 - 2nd Test, Lahore
Oct 18 - 1st ODI, Lahore
Oct 21 - 2nd ODI, Peshawar
Oct 23 - 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi
Oct 26 - 4th ODI, Multan
Oct 29 - 5th ODI, Faisalabad