NEW DELHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board is expecting today (Monday) the final word from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to confirm India's participation in the bilateral series against Pakistan.
A PCB official said that if they don't get a confirmation by Monday (December 7), PCB won't have adequate time to make the required arrangements. "There is little time left to organise the series and if India does not respond by Monday this series is over," the source was quoted as saying by PTI. The BCCI could face legal action if they do not go ahead with the proposed series between India and Pakistan. The PCB has mooted the idea of the bilateral series taking place in Sri Lanka, after BCCI showed apprehension about playing in united Arab Emirates, Pakistan's adopted cricket home.
However, the tour which was as per plan set to be played in mid-December hasn't got BCCI or Indian government's approval as yet.
The Indian cricket board had committed to play two Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two T20Is against the neighbours at UAE or mutually-agreed venue in December 2015.
This commitment has created the dilemma for the BCCI as well the Narendra Modi government right now. For BCCI, non-fulfillment of the commitment could lead to adverse legal ramifications as Future Tours and Programmes (FTP) is binding on both the nations. The dilemma for the government on allowing the series is because of the chill in India-Pakistan relations. But a meeting between the National Security Advisers of both countries onn Sunday may pave the way for the bilateral series.
The commitment by the BCCI in its April 9 letter was given in the context of resolutions placed at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board meeting on February 8, 2014 relating to “a new financial model and governance structure for the ICC”.
The reference to the new “governance structure for the ICC” was seen to include Srinivasan’s bid for the world sporting body’s chairmanship for which he needed support from the Asian bloc, including the PCB.
Sanjay Patel, the then BCCI secretary had written a letter stating, "Further to our meetings and discussions over the past few weeks regarding the bi-lateral tours between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hereby agree that the senior men's cricket teams of India and Pakistan will play each other as per the schedule...," to Najam Sethi, the then chairman of PCB.
The BCCI had also said then that it would make “all efforts to engage in a limited-overs format short tour to Pakistan in November 2014 based on the availability of possible dates”.
Back then, they had also said, "all efforts to engage in a limited-overs format short tour to Pakistan in November 2014 based on the availability of possible dates."
A PCB official said that the Board wasn't confident of getting Indian government's confirmation in time. "They just feel that time has now almost run out for having the series in Sri Lanka even from around mid-December. There is a lot of logistics involved in hosting the series in a third country which also has a lot of tourism. Especially with December being a Christmas and New Year holiday-season month."
With time running out soon, finding sponsors and getting things in order will be a massive task. However, having said that, he ruled out a possible quadrangular series to fill in the time slot that would be available if the Pakistan-India series doesn't go ahead.
"It has now been decided that if the series against India doesn't take place, then the selectors and team management will organise a national training camp over two to three weeks and carry out complete fitness tests of all players before the tour to New Zealand in late January."
He also added that Pakistan would look to organise a series against India, after consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in England next summer.