KARACHI, Dec 3: With clouds of uncertainty hanging over next year’s home series against India, a former chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fears Pakistan could face a protracted isolation from international cricket if the high-profile tour is called off.

Lt Gen (retired) Tauqir Zia who served as PCB chairman between October 1999 and December 2003, urged the cricket boards of both the countries to ensure the tour takes place as scheduled in January-February 2009.

“At the moment everybody is keeping fingers crossed because of the tragic events in Mumbai last week. The scenario has completely changed as far as the relationship between the countries is concerned, Tauqir told Dawn on Wednesday.

“Both Pakistan and India are not new to these terror attacks. In fact, we [Pakistan] have suffered more over the years. But despite all that we have tried to keep things together. Whatever the situation, life has to move on.”

It was during Tauqir’s tenure in the PCB that Pakistan were forced to play scheduled home series on neutral territory in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States. West Indies played two Tests and three One-day Internationals in early 2002 at Sharjah. Later that year, Pakistan ‘hosted’ Australia in a three-Test rubber with matches taking place in Colombo and Sharjah.

Ijaz Butt, the current PCB chairman, is slated to discuss the forthcoming tour when he meets his Indian counterpart Shashank Manohar during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Colombo this week.

Tauqir echoed the words of Ijaz, who last week said that the matter now lay in the hands of the governments. “Unfortunately, it is beyond the domain of the cricket boards to decide whether the tour should take place. The [Mumbai] situation has changed, that’s for sure. It’s now up to the two governments to decide.”

The ex-PCB boss, however, remained optimistic that the series would take place, but there could be some delay in the schedule. “Cricket has helped initiate the dialogue [between Pakistan and India] in the past when both countries were close to war. I firmly believe that cricket diplomacy has played a huge role in bridging the gap between the two nations,” Tauqir remarked.

“All is not lost. But as far as I see it now, there could be some delay to the start of the tour if the matter is not decided soon. However, even that arrangement would be welcomed because after all we want to see the Indians playing here [in Pakistan].

“At the same time, if England are now ready to play [the two Tests] in India, I see no reason why India shouldn’t be playing in Pakistan this winter,” Tauqir added.

India, who played in the Asia Cup earlier this year, are slated to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and one Twenty20 International from Jan 4 to Feb 19.

Tauqir further said if the Indians were unwilling to play here, then the PCB must try to play the series elsewhere for the sake of Pakistan cricket. The decision by Australia earlier this year not to visit Pakistan [because of security concerns] means we’ll go through 2008 without playing a single Test match because that was the only Test series Pakistan were scheduled to play this year.,” he said.

“It is not only the cricket board that has suffered, but also the players. Therefore, it’s imperative Pakistan play wherever India want to play against them. Ideally, a neutral venue is the best available option at this point in time if there is no progress on the other front,” he added.

“Otherwise, I fear for Pakistan’s cricketing future. We don’t like to be isolated since we have been the major sufferers as a number of countries have refused to play in our country. And if India refuse to tour Pakistan [next year], I feel the 2011 Would Cup could run into serious jeopardy because these security concerns [raised by some countries] are not only confined to Pakistan now.”

The International Cricket Council on April 30, 2006 allocated the hosting rights of the next World Cup jointly to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the South Asian region’s four Test-playing countries.

“If countries start showing scant respect as regards touring Pakistan in particular, then I think the 2011 World Cup in the region may face big problems because security [in the region] would still be a perennial issue that would continue to come under discussion at length,” the former PCB chief noted.