All the member nations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have pledged to honour bilateral commitments until 2020 despite the radical reforms approved at the executive board meeting in Singapore last week-end.
A Pakistan Cricket Board official said that though under the reforms pushed by India, Australia and England the Future Tours Program (FTP) would not be run by the ICC from 2015 onwards, member countries had pledged to honour bilateral series with each other until 2020.
“That is the commitment made by each member but from 2015 onwards members can also negotiate new bilateral agreements with each other depending on their available window and also financial benefits to them,” the official said.
He said under the existing FTP Pakistan was due to tour England for three Tests, five one-day internationals and two T20 matches after the 2015 World Cup.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board has assured us that despite the new FTP arrangements it will honour its bilateral agreement with us,” the PCB official said.
But he admitted that after the summer of 2015 when member countries can negotiate new bilateral arrangements, Pakistan could face some problems if any other country decided to alter its schedule.
“The fact is that Pakistan abstained from voting at the ICC executive board meeting and also opposed the reforms and this could be a factor when new bilateral arrangements are drawn up,” he said.
The official said no bilateral arrangement was discussed with the Board of Control for Cricket in India before the reforms that affect the governance and financial issues of the ICC affecting all members were approved.
“We are at least confident that our international commitments for this year that include Test and one-day series against Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe later this year will not be affected nor the tour to England next year,” the official said.
