The Pakistan-India bilateral series, scheduled for next year in the
ICC's Future Tours Programme, faces an uncertain future with the PCB
still awaiting response from the BCCI on whether the Indian government
will grant clearance for the historic tour.
 PCB still awaits response from the BCCI on whether the Indian government will grant clearance. © AFP |
"From our side, we have obtained the government approval to play the
series but the Indian board has told us that they will get back to us
with details of the series after getting clearance from their
government," a PCB official told PTI.
"As far as we are concerned, the tour is on and we are just waiting
for the Indians to give the final clearance as we want to discuss some
other options with them for the series," the board official added.
Pakistan and India have not played in a bilateral series since the
Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. As per the FTP, Pakistan are
scheduled to tour India for three Tests and five ODIs in March-April
2012.
The official said that the BCCI working committee will meet this week
in India and PCB expects them to discuss the issue of restoration of
bilateral cricket ties.
"One of their senior board officials, Rajeev Shukla has indicated
that the BCCI will discuss future series and the tour next year in the
meeting, so we are waiting for a positive response," he added.
The PCB has indicated that it is keen to convince the Indian board to
play a few limited-over matches of next year's series at a neutral
venue so that the PCB can earn some revenue as compensation for the
cancelled tour in 2009.
"Our government had publicly said that it wanted resumption of
bilateral cricket ties with India and this was discussed even by our
foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, when she visited India recently,"
the official noted.
"But the Indian board has told us they will only move forward once they get the green signal from their government," he added.
Pakistan last toured India in 2007 when Shoaib Malik was captain.
Pakistan have a busy international calendar as they first tour
Zimbabwe for a Test and three ODIs later this month and then play Sri
Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from October 17 to November 27 in
three Tests, five ODIs and one-off Twenty20.
The board official confirmed that one Test would be played in
Sharjah, which will host a full international game after nearly eight
years, while the remaining Tests would be in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi will host three ODIs and Dubai two ODIs and a Twenty20 game.
Pakistan will then tour Bangladesh for two Tests and three ODIs in
December and then take on England in the UAE in January-February before
the Asia Cup, followed by the scheduled tour to India.
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