Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf said that he wants to “break the ice” on restoration of bilateral cricket ties with India when he travels to the country next week and holds formal discussions with his counterparts across the border.
Ashraf is due to visit India next week on the invitation of the BCCI to discuss bilateral cricket ties, including the planned Pakistan tour to India early next year as part of the Future Tours Programme.
“I will go to India with an open mind. We want to break the ice. But at this stage I am not in a position to say anything on the FTP series in India. The picture will only be clear once proper discussions are held,” Ashraf told reporters here.
Ashraf said that a clear picture on the matter will, however, be known only after his formal discussions with Indian Cricket Boards officials.
“The response from the Indian Board President Srinivasan to my letter was very positive. But the fact remains that at this stage one can’t say when the next Pakistan and India bilateral cricket series would be played or where,” Ashraf said.
He pointed out that when it comes to Pakistan and India cricket relations, it was not just about two Boards but about two countries.
“That is one reason why we are keeping the foreign office in the loop even on my planned visit to India. We want to play India on bilateral terms, but it would be premature to say which venue we can play at,” he said.
