Possible venue change for Eng

The opening tour match of England’s tour to Pakistan could be switched from the planned venue of the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, following the recent earthquake that struck the north of the country at the weekend.

In the aftermath of the disaster, which has so far claimed upwards of 30,000 lives, the neighbouring city of Islamabad has been made a centre for the relief efforts, and there is the possibility that hotel rooms allocated to the cricket teams and entourage may be needed to house the homeless or provide a base for aid workers.

The remainder of the tour to take place between November and Christmas should be unaffected, with the teams not scheduled to return to the effected area until mid December.