Pak team leave for UAE for SA series

Updated at: 1248 PST,  Saturday, October 23, 2010  LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team left for Abu Dhabi early in the morning today for a month-long tour to play the series against South Africa including five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 matches. Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could not deliver lecture to the players on the new code of conduct, due to his personal engagements. The series between Pakistan and South Africa will begin on October 26 and two Twenty20 Internationals will be played in the first phase. Earlier, the players reported for their departure to manager Intikhab Alam at the National Cricket Academy. Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt who had to deliver lecture on the new code of conduct went to Karachi due to his personal engagements and in his place, Intikhab Alam gave briefing to the players and stressed them for maintaining discipline. Out of the two, one T20 match will be played to raise funds for the flood victims of Pakistan. The floods killed more than 1,600 people and left more than four million homeless. People in large number were present at Lahore airport to see the team off with cheering shouts. Speaking to media, Manager Intikhab Alam said Pakistan are mentally and physically geared up to take on the formidable Proteas. He was confident that Afridi’s team would put up a good show in the ODIs.