The Pakistan Cricket Board will put the home venues on the priority list when it hosts the series against India and only opt for neutral venue if the series was not possible at home due to the security issues. Talking to journalists in an informal meeting, PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed said that he would meet the Indian officials on the sideline of the ICC chief executives’ meeting in London and will hold talks on the subject and the formalities of the series.
He further said that the series is only possible with the permission of the governments of both the countries. “Once the series is held all the bilateral sporting relations will come to normalcy,” he maintained. Subhan further stated that formal talks on the holding of the series would start in the next three months time and its holding would be possible next year. “There is no room in the tight schedule of both the countries and it would formally be played in 2012 provided the relations and conditions remain normal,” he said. On the holding of the Sri Lanka and England series, the PCB COO said that all the arrangements have been finalised for the organization of the series in the UAE and only venues for the England matches are to be decided.
“We will be finalsing the venues of the England series well before its initiation but one thing is sure the matches will be held in the UAE,” he added. He was clearly disappointed on not being able to host the international teams at home and also denied any possibility of the World XI coming over to Pakistan in the immediate future. “The only opening would be next year when we would be able to hold any match out of the FTP (Future Tours Programme). We are playing Zimbabwe, then host Sri Lanka in the UAE and early next year take on England and in between we have to play Asia Cup. So there is no possibility of any out of the schedule match,” he added.
“At the moment the main issue of the appointment of a new coach which the PCB would be at look out for before October. Waqar (Younis) will be leaving after the Zimbabwe and we have to appoint a coach before the Sri Lanka series.” He said that a committee will be formed to consider different options including of a foreign coach but right now the his mind is set on the ICC’s next month’s meeting.
He also confirmed that former Pakistan leggie Mushtaq Ahmed met Younis and also showed his desire to fill the vacuum created by his resignation. “We have not considered anything as yet and all the issue of a new coach would come into to talks once the committee is formed,” he added.
PCB wants India series to be played in Pakistan
