Pakistan rules out India game to help Woolmer academy

KARACHI, July 19 (Reuters) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ruled out playing a Twenty20 match against India to raise funds for the Bob Woolmer academy in Cape Town due to the congested fixture schedule.

Woolmer died in Jamaica in March during the World Cup, a day after his team lost to debutants Ireland to be bundled out in the first round. Jamaican authorities investigated the death as a murder before announcing it had been due to natural causes.

Woolmer's widow Gill has written to both the boards asking them to play a fund-raiser for his dream project.

''We got a letter asking us to play a Twenty20 match with India for the academy. But this seems unlikely in the near future,'' PCB spokesman Ehsan Malik said today.

Malik said a tight international schedule for both teams and a finalised itinerary for Pakistan's tour of India in November-December were the reasons behind the decision.

The board, however, will help in other ways to establish the academy and has been in constant touch with Gill Woolmer.

''She had also proposed we play a Twenty20 match against England in England in August but the English team was already committed,'' he said. Woolmer was a former England batsman.

The PCB has dedicated the practice area of its National Cricket Academy in Lahore to Woolmer and named it after him.

Former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson was named this week as Woolmer's successor.

REUTERS SAM BD1519