Either play with us or forfeit match, PCB tells India

KARACHI: India have asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to keep Pakistan and India in separate groups of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in England.

Anurag Thakur, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) president, has even said that his team doesn’t want to play against Pakistan because of political tensions.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) presented an easy solution to the issue: If India don’t want to play against Pakistan then they should forfeit their matches.

This message was conveyed by Najam Sethi, the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Executive Committee, following a meeting of PCB’s Board of Governors in Lahore.

Pakistan also asked the ICC to compensate it for the huge financial losses caused by India’s decision to freeze bilateral ties with its neighbour.

Sethi stressed that either the ICC should make sure that the Indians fulfill their commitment regarding the Future Tour programme (FTP) or the game’s governing body provide compensation for the losses.

He made it clear that the PCB has rejected ICC’s offer for a loan or even a grant, adding that the Board has made it clear that it wants to be fully compensated.

The Indians have refused to play bilateral series against Pakistan because of political tensions between the two countries.

Earlier this month, the ICC brought in England’s cricket chief Giles Clarke to explore ways to boost PCB’s economy in the absence of any home international matches.

The decision was taken at the quarterly ICC board meeting that concluded in Cape Town. The board also agreed to look into financial “assistance” for the PCB given that it has now been almost eight years since their cricketers were last able to play a match in front of their home fans.

Clarke, who is a member of the powerful Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee, headed up the ICC’s original Pakistan Task Force in 2009, although he was unable to visit the country in that capacity due to the ongoing security concerns. The prospect of international cricket making a permanent return to Pakistan remains doubtful.