MUMBAI/DUBAI - Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur said the atmosphere between India and Pakistan is not conducive for cricket right now and stressed on the importance of creating a good environment before resumption of the proposed bilateral series.
"The atmosphere right now is not conducive for cricket to be played between the two countries. Pakistan government should talk to Indian government first. That will be a great help for building the conducive atmosphere," said Thakur on the sidelines of a cricket match between Parliamentarians and celebrities.
"And then you don't require so much effort for talks to happen between two cricketing boards," he added.
Pakistan cricket chief Shaharyar Khan said Saturday that if India turn down a proposed series in December-January then it would be possible that Islamabad would prevent Pakistan from featuring in next year's World Twenty20. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called on India to honour a Memorandum of Understanding under which the arch-rivals agreed to play six series from 2015-2023 -- pending clearance from both governments -- the first of which is this year in the United Arab Emirates.
But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to give a final response on the series comprising of two Tests, five one-dayers and two Twenty20 internationals. Talks between the two Boards failed to get going on Monday after Shiv Sena activists attacked the BCCI office in Mumbai, protesting any cricket with Pakistan.
"We will have to take advice from the Pakistan government and I think the government will say don't go in the event." Khan said that if such a situation arose then Pakistan would be ready to forfeit their matches in the World Twenty20, organised under the International Cricket Council (ICC). Under the rules if a governmnet stops a member country from featuring in an ICC event then there are no fines.
PCB chairman Shaharyar was in India last week to discuss the proposed India-Pak bilateral cricket series in December but Shiv Sena workers stormed the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai last Monday, and the scheduled meeting between the heads of two cricket boards were called off.
Last Friday, PCB called on its Indian counterpart BCCI seeking a rescheduled meeting to discuss the series in the United Arab Emirates in December.