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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted cautiously to Kenyan sports minister's statement which Tuesday said next month's triangular one-day tournament cannot be held in Nairobi.

PCB director Chisty Mujahid said shortly before his departure for Colombo that as far as his board was concerned, the tournament was on.

"I am leaving for Nairobi on Aug 5 to inspect the facilities there. We have not been informed about the sports minister's statement by the Kenya Cricket Association (KCA)," Chisty said.

Chisty added: "Like the International Cricket Council (ICC), we recognize the KCA and would prefer to deal with them instead of the sports minister. What happens between the two is their internal problem. But so far, the tournament is on between Aug 29 and Sept 7."

However, Chisty kept the options open to shift the series to another venue in case the infighting between the KCA and the government intensifies. "Naturally we will look for an alternative venue if things do get serious. I mean we have to be convinced by now that the series is being played at Nairobi.

Chisty said he would be meeting Australian team manager Steve Bernard in Nairobi, adding that he would try to convince him to go-ahead with the tour to Pakistan in October.

"President Gen Pervez Musharraf has given security assurance. I don't think the Australians can ask for anything more than that. "But even if there are any apprehensions, I would invite the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) inspectors as PCB guests to visit Pakistan and see for themselves."

AFP adds: Kenya's acceptance to host the triangular one-day series involving Pakistan and Australia here next month may have hit a snag after the Kenyan sports minister advised against it, local cricket officials said Tuesday.

Kenya had been asked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to replace New Zealand, which withdrew from the series originally scheduled to be played in Pakistan in March.

The Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) willingly accepted to host the Aug 29 to Sept 5 tournament as the third country. However, Sports Minister Francis Nyenze advised the PCB, through the Pakistan High Commission in Nairobi, that it would not be possible to stage the event here since the KCA was not recognised by the government.

Nyenze dissolved the entire KCA executive in May and appointed a caretaker committee to run the sport for a period of three months. But the KCA moved the court and obtained an injuction against the minister's intervention, claiming their eligibility as the rightly-elected body.

The move was supported by the sports governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), which said it would abide by the court ruling.

"This is just being too personal. It's the country's name which is at stake here," KCA Cricket Committee chairman Sharad Ghai told AFP.

Nyenze and his senior staff left Nairobi on Monday to attend the Commonwealth Games which open Thursday in Manchester, England.

Ghai said the KCA would convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

Kenya are scheduled to host New Zealand and Sri Lanka in two matches of the 2003 World Cup in February next year.

The tri-series was originally planned for the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, which saw two bomb blasts in May and June that left 26 people dead.

New Zealand had to cut short a tour of Pakistan after the first suicide blast outside their hotel on the morning of the Karachi Test on May 8.

© Dawn