Kenya and Zimbabwe have been invited to replace South Africa in next month’s Sharjah Cup, organisers said on Wednesday.
The $250 000 event, which was to feature South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, had originally been scheduled for April 1-10 but organisers were forced to postpone the starting date to April 3 after South Africa’s withdrawal on Monday due to the war in
Iraq.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have reconfirmed their participation, said Qassim Noorani, president of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series, which organises the event.
”We have invited Kenya and Zimbabwe to replace South Africa and the two countries are awaiting clearance from their respective ministries of foreign affairs,” Noorani said.
”If Zimbabwe and Kenya are cleared by their ministries, we will have a four-nation tournament. We are confident of getting an all-clear from at least one of the two countries,” he said.
”Our deadline is Thursday afternoon and we know only after that whether we have a three or four-nation tournament,” he said.
Kenya made the semifinals at the recent World Cup while Zimbabwe finished last in the Super Six stage.
The CBFS also discussed staging the event in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but South Africa did not agree to the proposal, the CBFS said. – Sapa-AP