Shaharyar steps up efforts to revive Indo-Pak series

KARACHI: Tensions continue to simmer and border clashes are on the rise. But even such a gloomy scenario has failed to stop Pakistan’s cricket chief from making all out efforts to revive his country’s bilateral cricketing relations with its arch-rival – India.
Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, has been keeping the case of hosting India for a full series at the top of his priority list and even though skeptics are sure that it won’t happen the ex-diplomat isn’t willing to concede, at least not yet.
Well-placed sources in the PCB told ‘The News’ on Monday that Shaharyar, a former foreign secretary, has been busy briefing top government officials ahead of Sartaj Aziz’s visit to New Delhi on August 23.
Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security, will be meeting his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval for talks to discuss all issues related to terrorism.
But sources said that there is likelihood that Pakistan will also propose that the Indians fulfill their commitment of playing a full series on a neutral venue starting December this year.
“Shaharyar has been briefing him (Sartaj Aziz) ahead of the adviser’s Indian trip. Cricket has figured when it came to diplomacy over Indo-Pak relations in the past and there is a big chance that it will figure again during the Aziz-Doval talks in New Delhi,” the source added.
In fact, there is a chance that Shaharyar might accompany Aziz on his trip to New Delhi.
“Shaharyar has been planning to visit India in a bid to make sure that the Indo-Pak series is revived this year,” said the source. “There is a chance that he might accompany Aziz and if that happens then cricket is bound to be a part of the talks,” he added.
Last week Shaharyar admitted that the planned ‘home’ series against India was in ‘real danger’ adding that he plans to visit India next month to meet with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) hierarchy and other government officials to discuss the issue.
“There is a real danger at this time to the series. But I plan to go to India to get a clear answer on the prospects of the matches being held in December,” he told reporters.
Shaharyar, who served as Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi, said that Pakistan was keen to follow the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two boards to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2022 after the new governance system took place in the International Cricket Council.
The ICC confirmed last year that India and Pakistan are set to play a bilateral series starting December 2015. It is supposed to be the first of six series scheduled between the two countries during the eight-year future tours programme cycle from 2015 to 2023.
According to the provisional FTP cycle, India and Pakistan are scheduled to play 12 Tests, 30 ODIs and 11 Twenty20s spread over six series. It was reported last August that the first of these, likely to be a home series for Pakistan, could be played in the UAE and is expected to comprise two Tests, five ODIs and two T20s. Pakistan and India later signed an MoU to make it a binding agreement. Even though the Indian cricket board has agreed to host Pakistan twice during the period, it is understood that due to the sensitive political relationship between the neighbouring countries, BCCI has added a clause in the MoU that all the six series will be played “subject to government clearance”.
The last bilateral series between the two countries was played in December 2012 and January 2013 when Pakistan toured India for three ODIs and two T20s. Bilateral cricketing ties between the two countries were snapped after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 until the series in 2012-13, although India and Pakistan have played each other in the World Cup, Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and the World T20 championship.