UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
19:44 Mecca time, 16:44 GMT
 
Sport
Security fears move S Africa match

The final match of South Africa's tour of Pakistan will be played in Lahore, not Karachi [GALLO/GETTY] 

The final one-day match between Pakistan and South Africa will be moved to Lahore after the Proteas declined to play in troubled Karachi for security reasons, according to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official.
Suicide bombings killed 139 people in Karachi last week at former premier Benazir Bhutto's homecoming parade, with South Africa refusing to play the fifth match of the series in the southern port city after seeking a safety assessment for their players.
The match will now be played in Lahore at the Gaddafi Stadium on the same date of October 29, Shafqat Naghmi, PCB chief operating officer said.
 
"The match has been shifted to Lahore over security fears raised by South Africa," Naghmi told AFP.
 
South African team security were not convinced by top-level officials in Karachi during a meeting about player safety in the port city on Wednesday morning, officials said.
 

"We deeply regret this decision especially for the people of Karachi for having deprived them of this opportunity... "

Logan Naidoo,
South Africa team manager

"We are disappointed and feel that Karachi is safe to hold any international event but we had no choice but to accept the decision of the South African management," Naghmi said.
 
Logan Naidoo, South African team manager, said his squad regretted that the decision had to be taken.
 
"We deeply regret this decision especially for the people of Karachi for having deprived them of this opportunity but unfortunately the members of the South Africa contingent were not comfortable in travelling to Karachi," Naidoo said in a statement.
 
He added that the decision was reached after consultation with officials back in South Africa.
 
History of violence
 
South Africa held meetings with Pakistan officials in the wake of the suicide attack and had been assured of increased security for players, prompting them not to end the tour prematurely last week.
 
Karachi has been a danger zone for international teams given the city's history of extremist and ethnic violence, and South Africa refused to play there on their last tour four years ago.
 
New Zealand cut short a tour after a bomb blast outside their hotel killed 14 people, including 11 French naval staff, in May 2002.
 
Karachi was cleared for international cricket only when India played a five-day Test there last year.
 Source: Agencies
 
 
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