Karachi, Sept 22: Pakistan today threatened to sue South Africa for 3.5 million dollars in losses from their cricket tour cancellation, unless the International Cricket Council (ICC) intervened to force a rethink by the Proteas. "The ICC must keep in mind the loss Pakistan cricket would suffer due to South Africa's pullout," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia said in a letter to ICC president Ehsan Mani.
The PCB estimates it will lose 3.5 million dollars in sponsorship and television rights from South Africa's last minute cancellation.
If the ICC fails to intervene, the PCB will take South Africa to the council's dispute committee to claim losses, Zia said.
The Proteas called off their tour on Saturday, one day before they were due to depart for Pakistan, in the wake of a minor bomb blast in an empty Karachi office building on Friday night. No one was injured in the blast.
The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) said security in Pakistan had deteriorated to an unacceptable level, and offered to either play the series outside Pakistan or delay the tour until security improved.
The PCB, however, has refused to play the series away from home and is seeking to resurrect the tour by changing venues and postponing it by one week.
Bureau Report