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Updated 15 May, 2013 06:46pm

Football team’s England tour hits the buffers

KARACHI, May 14: Pakistan football team’s proposed tour of England has hit the roadblocks.

A week after tickets for the tri-series involving Pakistan, India and Bangladesh were put on sale by English Premier League side Fulham, who were due to host the series at their Craven Cottage Stadium, the organisers, Indian-based Celebrity Management Group (CMG) have pulled the plug on the series.

“The series has been postponed as the organisers couldn’t fulfill the promises they had made to us, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF),” Pakistan Football Federation’s marketing Sardar Naveed Haider told Dawn on Tuesday.

As per the original schedule, India were to play Bangladesh on June 1, followed by a match against Pakistan on June 4. Pakistan were supposed to play Bangladesh on June 8.

“We had to postpone the series because of unforeseen reasons, CMG’s chief execute officer Bhaswar Gosawami said in a statement. “I can’t reveal the reasons right now.”

According to Indian media, the series was scrapped due to CMG not being able to generate enough funds to organise the series after one of their Indian-based sponsors Rose Valley, a chit fund company, came under the government scanner for a scam.

Fulham, meanwhile, said the tickets for the series which had already been sold would be refunded.

“The club would like to inform supporters that the international friendly matches scheduled to be played at Craven Cottage in June between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been cancelled,” the club said in a statement.

“Full refunds for tickets already purchased will be given,” it added.

The latest postponement evokes memories of another proposed tour in 2011 for the Pakistan team which was called off a day before the team was about to depart to England.

However, Sardar Naveed said that they are still in discussions with the organisers over new dates.

“I’ve been in contact with the heads of BFF and AIFF and after discussions with the organisers, probably new dates for the series can be decided,” he said.

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