LAHORE: The revival of Indo-Pak series faces another hitch. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it needs fresh permission from new Indian government to resume bilateral series with Pakistan, Shaharyar M. Khan said on Monday.

Shaharyar has returned from Dubai where he attended the ICC Board meeting late last month. In Dubai, the PCB chief said he met the heads of India and Bangladesh cricket boards on the sidelines.

“The BCCI officials in Dubai assured us that they remain committed to the MoUs [ensuring revival of bilateral series] signed with the PCB [when PM Manmohan Singh-led government gave its go-ahead for the series]. But the BCCI said it will have to get permission from their new government for the said series,” Shaharyar said at a news conference.

The PCB chief has returned from Dubai where the ICC Board meeting was held on Jan 27-28.

The present state of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, amid clashes between their armed forces along the international border and the LoC during the last few months, does not augur well for the restoration of bilateral cricket competitions.

The two countries played a bilateral series when Misbah-ul-Haq and company toured India for a short limited-overs series (comprising three ODIs and two Twenty20s) in Dec-Jan 2012-13. Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1 while the T20 rubber ended in 1-1 stalemate.

It was hoped that these limited-overs games would help resume bilateral cricket between the traditional rivals — suspended after Pakistan visited India for a full series in 2007 — following the November 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.

Last year, Pakistan signed MoUs with the BCCI for six bilateral series to be contested during next eight years, with Pakistan staging four of them.

Pakistan team’s conduct hailed at ICC meeting

Najam Sethi, the then PCB chairman who signed these MoUs, had termed it a big success, claiming the PCB would earn a whopping Rs30 billion by hosting India in the proposed four series.

Meanwhile, commenting on the matter of series with Bangladesh, Shaharyar said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was not ready to send their team to tour Pakistan in April this year despite the fact that it was their turn to visit.

“We toured Bangladesh in 2011 and the following year they had to visit us but due to security concerns they declined, and are now asking us to again undertake a tour to Bangladesh.

“We have put two demands before them; first, share the series income with the PCB, and second ensure back-to-back tours to Pakistan in coming years,” the PCB chief said.

“The BCB is considering our demand and we hope they will let us know [about their decision].

“But frankly speaking, the political situation in Bangladesh under the current government is not conducive for Pakistan to tour that country,” he said.

Answering a question on banned fast bowler Mohammad Amir who was recently allowed by the ICC to feature in domestic cricket, Shaharyar said the pacer had received the six-month relief from the world governing body after the bowler satisfied the ICC with his cooperation.

“Amir fulfilled all the ICC demands and from the outset he had turned approver to help the game’s governing body [in its probe into fixing] for which he received a relief for some months.”

The PCB chief, however, was categorical in his words on Amir’s possible comeback to international cricket. “[But] it does not mean he will make the Pakistan squad using any fast-track; instead he will have to earn his place in the team by giving [good] performance,” he made it clear.

On Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif — the other two banned players in the 2010 spot-fixing case — Shaharyar said both of them had to fulfil all the ICC demands to get any relief.

Not agreeing to an impression that both had sought pardon for their shameful act through media, the PCB boss said: “Personally, we have nothing against Salman and Asif; we have given them letter and they have to come up with their replies.”

Shaharyar, meanwhile, shared two good news with the media.

In the recently held ICC meeting in Dubai, the PCB chairman disclosed, the Pakistan team’s conduct was hailed along with other outfits including Sri Lanka and South Africa. He termed it a “a highly encouraging sign for the Pakistan team”.

The other good news, he revealed, was that the ICC income had increased, adding as a result the cash flow from it towards the PCB would also increase.

The exact details about the raise, he further said, would be known in the month of June.

He said the ICC had also approved the design of English helmet which would be used in future for the safety of players. Australian batsman Phil Hughes, wearing a helmet that many termed was not enough to give blanket safety to the batsman, died late last year after being hit by a bouncer in a domestic game at Sydney.

Commenting on Pakistan hosting foreign cricket teams, Shaharyar said the PCB informed the ICC about the efforts it had done in hosting Afghanistan and Kenya squads recently. The PCB had plans to also host Nepal and Netherlands this year, he added.

However, the PCB chief said the response of the major cricketing countries (on sending their teams to Pakistan) was encouraging but they wanted Pakistan to first successfully host Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

In order to ensure the safety of visiting foreign teams, Shaharyar said, the PCB was planning to construct accommodation close to its stadium in Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan. In Lahore, he said, the NCA already had the accommodation facility.

The chairman disclosed that he would hold a meeting with the ambassadors of all cricket-playing countries in Islamabad to brief them about the security arrangements made for visiting Afghanistan and Kenyan teams.

Speaking on the reported refusal by players to sign shortened central contract, he said it was not a big issue.

“The players only want to sign one-year contract instead of three months [offered to them] and the matter will be resolved soon,” Shaharyar concluded.

Published in Dawn February 3rd , 2015

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