Pakistan’s conditional support for the ICC revamp holds on the promise of six series against India, including a ‘home’ series in the UAE as part of an upcoming, revised eight-year FTP plan from 2015 to 2023.
The change in the PCB’s stand has taken place on the condition that they would be playing in bilateral series against all Full Members, including India. If Indo-Pak series are officially included into the eight-year FTP, it could also involve a ‘home’ series for Pakistan against India in the Middle East.
The PCB is now seeking for a final confirmation from the BCCI following its Working Committee meeting, which the PCB have been informed, is expected to take place in the next 15 days. It will then enable the PCB to work out a long-term broadcasting deal with regular India series at its centre.
The PCB’s opposition to the ICC’s original position paper that recommended a remodelling of the ICC’s administrative structure and its revenue distribution on the argument that it was against the principle of “equality.” However, following certain changes in the announcements, as well as the possibility of playing India frequently led PCB to support the revamp, finance and FTP changes in the ICC, which was driven entirely by the BCCI, ECB and Cricket Australia.
We can understand that all the nine member boards have confirmed their earlier commitments with PCB until 2020 and are bringing out a fresh plan for the period from 2020 to 2023.
The BCCI could look to slot in as many as six series against Pakistan, due to the gaps that are available in the existing FTP calendar. The first of these bilateral series could take place in the UAE during the winter of 2015. “Cricket between both countries is beneficial as the Pakistan government is also keen to revive ties with India on a high note,” PCB chairman Najam Sethi said on Friday following the two-day ICC board meeting in Dubai.
India and Pakistan have not played a full series since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which India blamed on militants based across the border. However, Pakistan visited India for a short limited-over series in December 2012, but despite not getting any revenue out of that series, it was regarded as a stepping stone in the cricketing ties between both the countries.
Since July 2013, Pakistan has been without a long-term broadcasting deal, one of the major sources of income for the PCB. The PCB already had to deal with a long-standing budget-deficit, which in August 2013, was calculated at nearly PKR 500 million. The PCB estimates that after committing to the ICC revamp, the financial benefits could reach PKR 30 billion from the bilateral ties, the major chunk of which will be earned from hosting India.
India and Pakistan hasn’t faced each other in tests since 2007, and this idea may bring back a test series after 7 years. Pakistan hasn’t won any test series against India was way back in the year 1987.