Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to take a call on the venue for ODI series against New Zealand later this year as holding matches in the Dubai Sports City has proved to be an expensive proposition for already cash strapped PCB.

Despite indications that the PCB was interested in hosting New Zealand for a One-day series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, now it seems they are having second thoughts after the experience of their home series against Australia in the venue earlier this year.

“While hosting matches in Abu Dhabi has not proved that expensive but organising matches in the Dubai Sports City was an expensive experience for the board,” one official said.

He said the DSC had racked up a bill of nearly $2.5 million for hosting two ODIs and a Twenty20 match against Australia in April-May.

“The PCB is now undecided about where to host the One-day series and have even asked New Zealand to suggest neutral venues or host the series at home,” the official stated.

The official said as New Zealand was not inclined to play five ODIs and a T20 match at Abu Dhabi, the three Tests might be held in the Kiwi’s own backyard as agreed by both the boards.

“New Zealand Cricket have told the PCB that the cost for hosting three Tests would be around $450,000,” the official said.

New Zealand was due to visit Pakistan in October-November on a scheduled tour but have refused to send their team to the strife torn country citing security reasons.

But New Zealand have agreed to play the series at neutral venues or even host the Tests at home.

The poor security situation in Pakistan has forced the national team to play all its Tests and bilateral ODI series abroad. England will host Pakistan-Australia Test series next year while they have also invited Pakistan for a Test series that is not part of the Future Tours Programme.

“Pakistan’s Test series next year in England is not part of the FTP and negotiations are being held between the two boards over the sharing of revenues. The PCB has apparently agreed to a fee of $3.5 million to play the series from the England and Wales Cricket Board,” one source said.

The ECB is expected to rake in between $15-20 million for hosting the series against Pakistan.

Johannesburg, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are being considered as possible venues to host the Champions Trophy this year, a senior International Cricket Council (ICC) official said on Monday.

The ICC executive board last month shifted the premier One-day tournament out of Pakistan with a possible boycott by five of the eight teams due to security concerns.

Sri Lanka is the back-up venue but Dave Richardson, ICC general manager for cricket, said some doubts had been raised as September-October, when the event is planned, would be the monsoon season in the island nation.

“Some doubts have been raised over Sri Lanka being a suitable venue more from a weather point of view,” Richardson told a news conference.

“What is decided is that the CT has to be held in one place with at least two venues and completed in 12 days time so that narrows down the choice of other possible options,” he said.

Richardson said the possible options were the South African capital and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

“I think these options would be in the frame when the venue is finalised in March-April,” he added.

The tournament was postponed from last year before it was shifted out of Pakistan due to security issues.

Pakistan will play Australia in five one-day matches at neutral venues in the Gulf, the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has said. The first two ODIs will be played in Dubai, while the remaining three will be played in Abu Dhabi.

“We have decided to play the five-match one-day series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from April 24 to May 7,” said Butt. “The teams will then return to Dubai for the Twenty20 international.”

Australia had cancelled their tour of Pakistan in the wake of the heightened violence in March 2008, and were expected to visit the country separately for the ODI and Test series this year. Venues in England, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai had been considered as alternatives in a discussion with Cricket Australia officials on the sidelines of an ICC executive board meeting late last month.

The PCB had turned down the offer to stage the matches at a neutral venue when CA initially expressed their reluctance to tour last year. Butt said there was a possibility of hosting the Test series against Australia at neutral venues as well. “If Australia do not play the Tests in Pakistan there is a possibility of playing the Test series in England,” he said.

Australia have not played in Pakistan since 1998. In 2002, due to security concerns, a three Test series between the two sides in Pakistan was shifted to Colombo and Sharjah.

With Australia refusing to tour Pakistan citing security concerns, the cricket-starved nation has been forced to shift their April-May five-match one-day series to a neutral venue.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt held talks with Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne and the decision was made there.

PCB sources said Butt was invited to hold talks with CA chief executive James Sutherland.

It was agreed that the one-day series and a Twenty20 game would be played from the last week of April.

“Basically it has been agreed in principle that Pakistan would host the series at neutral venues like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah,” one source said.

“So the series is on but not in Pakistan,” the source added.

He said the CA officials had made it clear to Butt that the security briefings they got from different sources made it impossible for the Australian team to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns.

Butt would release the details of the itinerary by next week once he returns home this week.

Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998 and the two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2005. Former players and officials have lambasted the PCB for agreeing to play at neutral venues and see this is as one of the reason why the ICC eventually relocated the Champions Trophy from Pakistan.