Good news

South Africa's delayed tour of Pakistan is set to get underway in early October, after a last-minute deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Following Friday night's bomb blast in Karachi, the PCB has agreed to cancel two matches due to be held in Karachi and Peshawar. The new itinerary will comprise three ODIs but just two Tests, one fewer than originally intended.

Confirming the news, PCB officials said the United Cricket Board (UCB) had agreed in principle to the rearrangement, after consultation with South African government, Eric Simons, the coach, and Graeme Smith, the captain. Written approval will be received before the end of the week.

"We made a decision on Saturday, based on information from our security consultants who had also been in contact with intelligence agencies," said Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the UCB. "That information was that the situation in Pakistan, particularly following a bomb blast in Karachi on Friday evening, meant that sending our team to Karachi on Sunday as planned would have constituted an unacceptable risk."

"The Board has at all times been committed to making every effort to ensure the tour could go ahead, with the safety and security of the national squad as our primary concern," said Majola. "The tour is important to both Pakistan and to South African cricket and we are sympathetic with the disappointment expressed in Pakistan when the team's departure for Karachi on Sunday had to be called off. We appreciate the PCB's compromise on an abbreviated tour, and that compromise is indicative of the continuing good relationships between our two boards."

"We feel it is a welcome sign for cricket in Pakistan because we have gone through very hard times in the last four days," said Rameez Raja, the chief executive of the Pakistan board. "[There were] misconceptions about Friday's blast," he said. "After talking to our security officials, [South Africa] got the clear picture that the blast was not linked to terrorism."