Pakistani officials have admitted that the four-nation tournament they had been planning to host early in 2002 is extremely unlikely to go ahead. "It has little relevance after India decided to opt out from the Asian Test Championship in order to avoid playing Pakistan," said Brigadier Munnawar Rana of the Pakistan Cricket Board. India and Pakistan had agreed to co-host the one-day tournament at a meeting earlier this year.

A further casualty of the political stalemate is likely to be the tri-nations tournament between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which had been provisionally scheduled to take place in Dhaka over the New Year.

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board has not yet informed the PCB about its plans to host a triangular one-day tournament involving its team along with India and Pakistan," said Rana. He added that there was no question of cancelling the tournament "since it was just a proposal".

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