Pakistan likely to play three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches in December
Cricket between India and Pakistan was put on the revival course on Monday, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acceding to a request from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a short series.
The teams will play three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches.
Short series
The Board, which took the decision at its Working Committee meeting here, said in a statement: “It was decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan by inviting the Pakistan cricket team for a short series in December 2012-January 2013. The modalities will be worked out shortly.”
The series will take place subject to government clearance.
Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata will host the ODIs. The T20 matches have been allotted to Ahmedabad and Bangalore. “The venues have been chosen keeping in mind various factors like security, spectator response and the reputation of the staging associations to handle such high-profile contests,” said a Board official.
The PCB had repeatedly appealed to the BCCI to revive cricket ties. The bilateral series came to a halt after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. In their last bilateral series in 2007, host India won 1-0 in Tests and 3-2 in ODIs.
For some time, PCB had even pressed hard, in vain, for matches at neutral venues. “The BCCI was firm that no…series will be held at any neutral venue. It was decided to invite Pakistan after the England team’s visit to India [ending on December 22]. This slot, when England returns home for a Christmas break, was the only window available in a tight schedule,” said the official.
Another Board official Rajiv Shukla claimed that the necessary assurance had been obtained from the government. “I have spoken to [the Union Home Minister] Mr. P. Chidambaram, and he has no objection. The Ministry of External Affairs has also agreed to Pakistan’s visit.”
Pakistan last played in India in March 2011 when it lost the World Cup semi-final to the host country at Mohali. The two countries had initiated efforts for revival of cricket ties from the successful staging of that match. Board sources, however, ruled out any possibility of India travelling to Pakistan in the near future.
Though no Pakistan cricketer figured in the last three editions of the Indian Premier League, the Board invited Sialkot Stallions, the champion team in Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 league, for this year’s Champions League Twenty20. The tournament has since been shifted to South Africa.
One should ask BCCI why playing cricket with Pakistan was stopped. If it was to show that our country is more important to us than playing cricket with Pakistan then it was okay. Now what is the logic for resuming the cricket with Pakistan? Have those guilty for Mumbai attack been punished? Has Pakistan cooperated with investigations and in punishing those who are responsible that attack? Has PCB ever spoke against the Mumbai attack and asked their government to punish responsible for those attack? If the answer to these questions is no, then there is need for India to resume cricket or any other bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan. Playing against Pakintan to fullfill international commitments is a different thing all together. To my mind the only logic why BCCI is so much interested in playing with Pakistan is that it wants to increase the figures in the profit column of its balancesheet. Eeery patriotic Indian should oppose these matches.
What got changed in these years that led BCCI to make this decision? Are we resuming the ties to break it gain after another attack or bomb blast? It is an utter disrespect to the people who got killed inhuman way in these attacks.
BCCI should have thought very seriously before doing this. might they
have but this is clearly an injustice to the innocent got died in
mumbai attack. see its near but obvious that Pakistan's ISI has clear
hand in this attack so why their bloody govt could noto take any
action or soort of support to India which is ridiculous. this is one
of the most effective way of pressurizing Pak govt as cricket is the
only thing that can exist in the brains of pakistani hardliners apart
from terrorism. And therefore no bilateral series policy was a good
tool to teach them a lesson of inaction & terrorism.
The government of India needs to explain its decision here. As per all available reports, Pakistan is conducting a sham and a farcical trial of the 26/11 accused. Thats more evident today than it ever was. Then why resume cricketing ties ? Does it not justify Pakistan's obduracy, denial and mock India's decision making process ?
Cricket was not a cause for such inhuman acts like Mumbia attacks and placing this gentlemen game under the political knives of both the countries can never bring a solution to this and i don't see any bad in reviving of the cricketing relations. Why don't our political system succeeds in creating a perfect pressure on pakistan so that the culprits could be prosecuted......
We have to come up with a solution of all such problems.
BCCI wants to make profit from everything.
Only money matters for BCCI not people's sentiment.
Yes. I fully agree with Mani Sandilya. Revival of ties is not for
sporting reasons nor for the love of the game. The sole aim is vote
bank politics. Sports lovers will definitely give a resounding slap
for these people who are going all out to revive ties only for
political gains. Slowly but surely Pakistani cricketers will take part
in IPL and earn money to be spent in Pakistan to fund terrorists to
target Indians. To my knowledge, neither the PCB nor any cricketer be
it former or present from Pakistan has denounced 28.11 attacks. On the
other hand, some of them are earning money in India as commentators
and coaches (the owner has a special liking for people from across the
border for obvious reasons) at the cost of some former greats who
brought glory to India by winning the world cup.
It is a bad decision, as the reason for which the cricket relations were broken, is not fulfilled yet. Also, this decision indicates that financial profit is the only concern of BCCI and their hunger towards this.
India should resume not only cricket but also other games like hockey.
Reviving bi-lateral sporting links with Pakistan is nothing but slap on the face of those dead and those who are still grieving over the loss of dear and near ones. People should stongly protest against this. World Cup was a different matter. BCCI should see beyond the turn of the turnstiles.
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