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PCB to lock horns with India over new FTP

By our correspondents
December 12, 2017

KARACHI: When it comes to cricket’s Future Tours Programme, the Indians want to have their cake and eat it too.But Pakistan’s cricket authorities on Monday made it clear that they won’t allow it.Soon after the Indian cricket board (BCCI)finalised its FTP without any bilateral series against Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that it would challenge it.

“Since the onset of these discussions, PCB has reiterated its position on bilateral series vs India. Our position is that PCB’s agreement to the revised structures for international cricket is subject to the condition that PCB has a valid agreement to play bilateral matches with India and India vs Pakistan matches would be included in the FTP. This continues to be our position,” the PCB said in a media release.

“PCB has also informed the ICC that it has initiated a dispute resolution process against the BCCI under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee Terms of Reference. Further to that the PCB’s claim is based on an existing agreement with the BCCI which contemplates that India will tour Pakistan in December 2019, August 2020 and November — December 2022 and Pakistan will tour India in November — December 2021,” the release added.

“Under the prevailing circumstances, it is PCB’s position that if the Dispute Resolution Committee decides the dispute in PCB’s favour then any FTP will need to be adjusted to reflect the decision. Any agreement of the PCB to any new FTP structure will therefore be without prejudice to its existing claims against BCCI and will be subject to the outcome of the ICC dispute resolution process,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, India’s stance remains the same: there can be no cricket with Pakistan outside the ICC events unless there is government clearance. Asked about the Pakistan situation, the BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said: “It is something which... it is a question which is embedded not in the matrix of cricket alone. That is publicly recognised. Unless you put together all factors that determine an event, it is futile attempting to answer that question.”

On a day the BCCI reported more than half of India’s matches will be played against Australia, England and South Africa in the next FTP cycle (between the World Cups of 2019 and 2023), primarily because it is what broadcasters demand, it was hard to miss that India v Pakistan was a contest the broadcasters would have lapped up. Choudhary did not negate the commercial value of a series against Pakistan, but said that was an issue that could be discussed only if it was possible for India to play Pakistan.

When asked if indeed it was by some miracle possible to play Pakistan in this FTP cycle, Choudhary said the BCCI will be only too glad to find a place in the schedule. “If we could manoeuvre our calendar after having made space for a proposed tour of Pakistan [in the current FTP], I am sure depending on the new situation, new ways will be found,” he said.

India will play more than half their cricket against Australia, England and South Africa between the World Cups of 2019 and 2023 if the proposed Future Tours Programme (FTP) — agreed to in principle by the BCCI at its special general meeting (SGM) on Monday — is ratified and signed. They will play fewer Tests and more T20Is, play more of their cricket at home, and will prefer to restrict their southern-hemisphere tours to the new year. —with inputs from agencies.