The much-anticipated resumption of bilateral cricketing ties between Pakistan and India appeared to have hit a snag again as officials from both the boards failed to agree upon confirmed dates and venues for proposed matches.
After positive signals from the Indian Cricket Board, the PCB was hoping that one or two matches would be played in December to signal the resumption of bilateral ties, which have remained suspended since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. PCB officials had indicated that they were hopeful that dates and venues would be finalised during the ICC meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
“Unfortunately Indian board officials rejected prospects of the matches being played in Pakistan or at neutral venues and said Pakistan could come and play in India but for that also dates would be finalised later on,” reports quoting source said.
“PCB’s top officials also discussed revenue sharing with the Indians in Kuala Lumpur if Pakistan went to India for the matches as India has yet to compensate Pakistan for the cancelled Test tour in 2009,” the source said.
He said the PCB officials had also brought up some other issues related to the proposed matches but the BCCI president, N Srinivasan made it clear that his board needed more time to finalise things and would get back to the PCB after government clearances.
“The PCB officials though feel the meeting was a step in the right direction and the positive vibes from BCCI officials remain,” the source said.
The source said the BCCI officials had, from the outset, told PCB that they couldn’t send their team to Pakistan at any time in the future because of the security situation in the country.
PCB, SLC agree to exchange players for domestic T20: The PCB has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka Cricket under which the two boards have agreed to allow their players to take part in the domestic T20 premier leagues of both countries.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf said from Kuala Lumpur that the document was signed on Wednesday. “Under this agreement we will allow our players to go and play in the Sri Lankan premier league and Sri Lanka have agreed to permit their players to come and play in Pakistan when we launch our premier league,” Ashraf reported to have said.
However sources said that under the contract both boards could give clearance to their players for the leagues but could not force them to go and play in either country.
While Sri Lanka will hold its premier league from August 10, Pakistan is yet to announce dates for its league which is slated sometime in November this year. The PCB chief also said that he was interested in signing a similar exchange contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
“But since the Bangladesh Premier League is not slated this year we have plenty of time to negotiate with them.”
Ashraf also said that he had spoken to officials of other boards and had got positive response from the South African, Australian and England boards.
“These boards have assured us that whenever we launch our domestic premier league they will see if they can make their players available for it,” Ashraf said.
