India can’t play in Pakistan. Pakistan won’t play in India. The stalemate continues as cricket ties between the two nations have been put on hold following Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shahryar Khan insisting on staging the series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Khan told a website that Pakistan had no inclination to travel to India. He cited various reasons but the most important was his insistence on hosting the series in UAE, which happens to be the adopted home of Pakistan for cricketing assignments.
The PCB chairman had earlier claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had invited Pakistan to play the series (two Tests, five ODIs and two T20s) in India with matches scheduled in the northern and eastern parts of the country in the month of December. According to the MoU signed by the two countries it is India’s turn to tour Pakistan and hence PCB’s stand of sticking to UAE as the venue.
The Board secretary Anurag Thakur asserted, “According to the bilateral arrangement Pakistan was to host the series. But conditions in Pakistan don’t allow us to play there. BCCI had asked the PCB whether they would play in India, but they refused.”
The Board president Shashank Manohar had on Sunday told The Hindu that he had not extended an invitation to Pakistan.
Any India-Pakistan sporting engagement needs the Government’s clearance and in this case no steps have been initiated at all.
Khan reportedly questioned India’s reluctance to play in UAE since the Board had conducted the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier. A Board official clarified saying, “The IPL was not a bilateral series involving India and Pakistan. It also did not involve cricketers from Pakistan.
“It has been our policy that India-Pakistan cricket contests would have to be played on home soil only and not neutral venues unless it is an ICC (International Cricket Council) event.”
A series of statements from Pakistan had emanated with former players, notably Javed Miandad, advising the PCB not to send the team to play in India. Shahid Afridi had reportedly talked of security being a major issue.
No major Test-playing nation has travelled to Pakistan since the 2009-attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
