Pakistan has made it clear they are not ‘begging’ India to play against them but are just asking them to honor the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that they had signed a couple of years ago.
The Indian and Pakistan cricket board,in 2014, had signed MoUs for six bilateral series to be played between 2015 and 2023. However, the MoU has not been implemented due to the escalating political tensions between the two neighbours.
The two fierce rivals have not played a full bilateral Test series since 2007 when Pakistan visited India for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. They played a short series of three ODIs and two T20s in India in December 2012 but otherwise both have faced each other only in the ICC organised events or the Asia Cup.
“We are not begging them to play us. Please don’t get that impression. But they (BCCI) signed a proper Memorandum of Understanding with us to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023 and they didn’t meet their commitment,” Shaharyar told the media in Islamabad after attending a meeting of the national standing committee on sports.
“It is our right as a cricket nation to push them to honour the MOU. They immediately owe us at least two home series as the last full bilateral series was played in India in 2007. In the MOU, Pakistan was to host four series between 2015 and 2023,” he added.
Shaharyar also admitted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also suffering a huge financial loss due to India’s reluctance to play a bilateral series. He revealed the cricket board is seeking legal action to sort out the issue. He also said the PCB will be raising the issue in the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting.
We have been consulting our lawyers on this issue of the MOU and we will be taking up this case of bilateral series at the Asian Cricket Council meeting this month,” he concluded.