Karachi: 'A bilateral hockeyseries between India and Pakistanscheduled for March is said to have been put off due to the cricket WorldCup," sources said.

 

"The cricket World Cup is a huge event and we don'tthink it would be the right time for us to hold a hockey series when the peoplein both Pakistan and India would be busy watching cricket," AkhtarulIslam, secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), was quoted as sayingin The News.

PHF and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) had planned tohold the eight-match Test series on a home-and-away basis during March andApril. According to the proposed plan, Pakistanwere to host the first four Tests in March followed by the second leg of theseries in Indiain April.

But after having worked out the details of the series, theIHF realised that fans from both sides of the border would be engrossed withthe World Cup and hockey matches between Indiaand Pakistanwon't attract any attention.

 

The shortage of sponsors has also forced the federation ofboth the countries to think about rescheduling the series as most businesshouses in Indiahave already devoted their publicity budget in the World Cup.

"We were recently contacted by the Indian officials whowanted to know whether the series could be held after the World Cup," saidAkhtar, a former Olympian.

"We think they have a point because it would be anexercise in futility if we hold the series during the World Cup," headded.

 

Akhtar said that Pakistani and Indian officials will notmeet in Kuala Lumpurnext week to discuss the issue.

 

"If we decide to postpone the series then the newschedule would be decided in our meeting in Kuala Lumpur," said Akhtar.

The two parties would meet in the Malaysian capital on thesidelines of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) elections scheduled to takeplace Sunday.

"Marketing hockey is really a tough job becauseeverybody is interested in putting money in cricket these days," saidAkhtar, whose PHF has been facing a financial crisis in recent months.