BCCI invites Zaka for talks next month to discuss series

Sports Desk LAHORE - The BCCI has invited PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf early next month to discuss the bilateral Test series between India and Pakistan. Pakistan is due to tour India in March-April next year under the ICC future tour programme. But since India has suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the series has remained under doubt. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India has sent a letter to Zaka Ashraf inviting him to visit India in the first week of December where bilateral cricket ties between the two countries will be discussed," the TOI quoted PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad as saying on Saturday. The BCCI invitation came in response to a letter sent by the PCB chairman to his Indian counterpart emphasizing on the need for restoring bilateral ties. "It is a good sign that the BCCI has finally acknowledged officially that they want to hold talks on bilateral ties," Ahmad said. The Asian Cricket Council has scheduled the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March but Ahmad said that if the Pakistan tour to India was confirmed, the tournament would be postponed. "This was agreed upon by the ACC Executive Council when the schedule for the tournament was being finalised," he said. Ahmad said that since taking over as chairman, Ashraf had focused on restoring bilateral ties with India and the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, suspended since 2009 after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in March. "The PCB chief had some positive meetings in Dubai with ICC and other officials and he is very keen on having direct talks with the Indian board officials."

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