MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could face legal action if they do not go ahead with the proposed series between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (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.
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.
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.”
The commitment back then was given to Pakistan in order to secure their vote in N Srinivasan’s chairmanship bid in the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) just another day’s time to confirm India’s participation in the bilateral series against Pakistan. The Pakistan-India series, which was planned to be played in Sri Lanka in mid-December, needs BCCI’s go-ahead. 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 said.
He added that he 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.
