Neutral venue likely
03/14/2010 08:06:48 PM
A major suicide bomb blast in Lahore which killed 45 people last weekend has seen the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) concede it is very unlikely it will get to host the Asia/Oceania Group Two Davis Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Pakistan has been hit by several bomb attacks, including the targeting of the Sri Lankan cricket team in March last year where 12 gunmen injured six players.
Six policemen and two civilians were killed and Pakistan has not hosted a cricket match since.
PTF chief selector Khawaja Saeed Hai stated last week there was no reason for security concerns and action should be taken against New Zealand if it refused to play the tie in Pakistan.
But in a significant u-turn, PTF president Dilawar Abbas has all but supported Tennis New Zealand's request to have the July 9 to 11 match moved to a safe venue.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) moved Davis Cup ties against Oman and Hong Kong out of Pakistan last year after they refused to play there.
An ITF decision on where the match will be played is expected by the end of March.