Pakistan, India may head to SL for bilateral games

KARACHI: After months of uncertainty things seem to be finally falling into place as far as the fate of Pakistan’s home series against India is concerned.
Though Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, remained tightlipped on the details of when and where the series will take place it is expected that PCB will host India in two phases.
Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Monday that subject to approval from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan will host India for three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 games in Colombo and Kandy in Sri Lanka. Once the nitty-gritty of the bilateral series if finalised, the two teams will arrive in Sri Lanka by Mid-December to play the limited-overs series between December 20 to January 3.
There is also likelihood that Pakistan will host India in two Tests in England next summer. Pakistan have a full tour of England in 2016 and according to sources there are chances that PCB and Indian cricket board (BCCI) will line up the two Tests at venues like Lord’s in London and Old Trafford in Manchester.
“The two Tests could take place in England before our series against the hosts begin there. A few years back Pakistan hosted Australia in England before playing their series against England,” a source said, who conceded that India will need to tweak its own tour programme to make space for the two Tests.
These are highly positive developments considering that till just a few weeks back it seemed that the series will not take place at all. The Indians were adamant that they can only play against Pakistan once the Indian government gives its permission. And later, they said that Pakistan will have to play the series in India, something that was unacceptable to the PCB right from the very start.
Shaharyar — the man at the helm of Pakistan’s mission to save the series – was a very busy man on Monday after returning from Dubai where he met with top BCCI officials as well as ECB chief Giles Clarke.
Sources said that he sought a meeting with Prime Minister Sharif but after failing to do that he dispatched a detailed letter to the PM House on Monday evening.
His urgency in seeking the premier’s go-ahead, something PCB has been told that it needs before finalising the series, is understandable.
The clock is ticking as there is a very small window available to line up the matches even though the series will be divided into two phases.
“The Board is hoping to receive directions from the prime minister within the next two days and it expected that if the series gets a go-ahead then the various details will be announced by the end of this week,” a source said.
Agencies add: Sri Lanka is fast emerging as the likeliest venue to host a shortened bilateral series between Pakistan and India. Sri Lanka Cricket has been sounded out by PCB and appear very keen to host the series.
Things have moved fast since BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Shaharyar met at the ICC headquarters in Dubai on Sunday afternoon to break the deadlock over where the series should be held.
Shaharyar said that he would not be travelling back to Dubai on November 25, as originally planned, to meet ECB president Giles Clarke, who is acting as a mediator between PCB and BCCI.
Shaharyar and Najam Sethi, PCB’s head of executive committee, had come out of the Dubai meeting sounding optimistic, but they did not divulge any details. Those were supposed to be provided by Clarke at a media briefing today in Dubai but it is understood that will not happen. The ICC also confirmed there was no media conference scheduled.
The biggest hurdle to the series was the venue: the BCCI had made it clear that it would not play Pakistan anywhere else but in India.
The UAE has not been dropped as a venue, officially speaking, but Manohar’s opposition to play there remained. So holding the series in neutral ground like Sri Lanka was one of the proposals the PCB placed at the Dubai meeting. Also with South Africa’s tour of India finishing on December 7 and India travelling to Australia for a limited-overs series from January 12, both boards decided to modify the original schedule. The best possible option was playing three ODIs and two T20Is. In the ICC FTP Pakistan are listed to host India for a full tour comprising two Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is.
According to an official privy to the details of the meeting, a final decision on the series would be made by November 27. He added that dates and stadiums haven’t been chalked out yet but indicated the matches would be played towards the latter part of December to avoid washouts.
A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official said Khettarama and Pallekele were the likeliest venues to host the tour. It has rained almost daily in both Colombo and Kandy this month, but the weather is expected to clear towards the end of December. The northeast monsoon typically tapers off quicker in these cities than in Hambantota or Dambulla.
There is a potential clash since Khettarama is scheduled to host domestic T20 matches on December 23rd and 30th, but those games may be moved elsewhere. Pallekele’s schedule is wide open in the window for the Pakistan-India series.
Since Pakistan would play the host, the series would be broadcast by Ten Sports. No official from Ten was available for comment. Although no definite plans have been made yet, the Sri Lankan official said SLC would expect significant compensation for the use of their stadiums.