[cricman]

6/12/2008 KARACHI: A triangular twenty20 tournament in Canada this summer involving Pakistan and West Indies is on in spite of minor hiccups relating to the event’s sponsors, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on Wednesday.

Shafqat Naghmi, the Board’s Chief Operating Officer, told ‘The News’ that Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a new sponsor after a local firm which had promise to finance the contest backed out recently.

“The proposed tournament in Canada may have run into major problems after the previous sponsor backed out of their commitment,” said Naghmi. “But we’ve got new sponsors and hopefully the tournament will go ahead according to schedule.”

Naghmi said that the Twenty20 event will be a triangular affair with minnows Bangladesh joining Pakistan and West Indies in Toronto. The four-day tournament will be played from August 13-16.

Pakistan had lined up the Twenty20 assignment in Canada early this year in a mad rush to fill in the gaps in their future tour programme following the ‘postponement’ of Australia’s tour of Pakistan this spring. Australia, who were scheduled to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 International in March-April backed out of the commitment citing security concerns.

Their move came as a major setback for activity-starved Pakistan and the PCB was forced to look for alternate solutions. Confirming Pakistan’s participation in the Toronto T20 show was a part of the Board’s plans to have maximum possible games at home and abroad in 2008.

But the Board suffered a setback when a local firm had committed to finance the contest decide to back out.

However, the PCB did not have to wait long for a new sponsor apparently because of the growing popularity of Twenty format in Pakistan.

Naghmi did not disclose any details about the new sponsors but said that it is a Pakistan-based business house. He said that the Board has also received guarantee fee for their team’s participation in the Toronto tournament from the new sponsors.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=117967

If I'm free I'd make the trip, I know lots BC members from Canada will show up