Indian and Pakistan cricket officials will have another opportunity to discuss the deteriorating cricket ties between the two neighbours, when they attend a meeting together on December 17.
The two arch-rivals have not played a full bilateral Test series after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which led to the suspension of cricketing ties between the two countries. They played a short series of three ODIs and two T20s in India in December 2012 but otherwise they’ve clashed only in the International Cricket Council (ICC) organised events or the Asia Cup. Any hopes of revival of the bilateral ties between both countries look bleak now after the Uri attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were martyred.
The meeting will be held during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
As quoted in the Deccan Chronicle, an official source in the Pakistan Cricket Board said:“PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan is also chairman of the ACC and he will be accompanied by Najam Sethi and Subhan Ahmad to Colombo.”
The source revealed that during the ICC executive board meeting earlier this year, the BCCI president Anurag Thakur already told the PCB that a bilateral series in the near future looks a distant dream now due to the escalating tensions between the two countries. However, there was a discussion on a multi-nation tournament to be held in India or a neutral venue.
“Thakur made it clear to Sethi who is an influential figure in the PCB and heads its executive committee that at present it was not possible for the BCCI to play Pakistan in a bilateral series as their government didn’t support this,” the source said.
“The BCCI chief had floated an idea where instead a multi-nation tournament could be organised in India or at any neutral venue in which Pakistan and India could play against each other,” he added.
The source revealed two ACC officials held a meeting with Shaharyar Khan this week to discuss preparations for the meeting and possible ACC events in the coming years. The source added the Pakistan Cricket Board is contemplating a legal recourse to ask for compensation from their Indian counterparts for their refusal to play bilateral series in last few years. The PCB is waiting until December 17 to see what happens before taking the action.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has threatened to boycott the men’s Champions Trophy to be held next year after their women’s team was docked off six points for not playing against Pakistan team.