PCB to seek final ‘yes or no’ from Indian board

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar M Khan has said
the PCB would seek a final “yes or no” from India regarding a full bilateral series in December.
The PCB is to host India for Test, One-day International and Twenty20 International series in the United Arab Emirates in December but the
BCCI has not confirmed the tour.
Pakistan will likely be idle in that period while all the other teams will be busy. The Green-shirts will visit Zimbabwe to play two Twenty20 Internationals and three ODIs between September 27 and October 5.
That will be followed by a full series against England in the UAE between October 13 and November 30.
Then Pakistan are scheduled to tour New Zealand in January 2016.
Talking to reporters at the conclusion of the National T20 Cup at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Shaharyar said: “I think there is a 50 percent chance of the series happening.
“The BCCI (Indian cricket board) tells us that they are ready to play against us, but will have to take permission from its government. The government hasn’t answered the Indian board yet. We are trying to seek a final yes or no,” the PCB chief said.
He, however, reiterated that Pakistan can survive without playing against India. “I want to make it clear that if India do not come for the series, we will suffer some loss but not that much that we will come down on our knees.
“We haven’t been playing India for some years now; we won’t play for another year. That’s no problem,” he said.
Shaharyar made it clear that the PCB has not asked International Cricket Council President Zaheer Abbas for help regarding the Pakistan-India series.
“Zaheer Abbas has gone to India as an ICC representative, not as a representative of the PCB,” he said. “He will tell us whatever is discussed there when he comes back. Besides that, he is no messenger for the PCB,” the PCB chief said.
Pakistan and India have not played a full bilateral Test series since
2007. Pakistan toured India in 2012-13 to play three ODIs and two T20 Internationals.
According to an MoU signed between the two neighbours, Pakistan and
India are supposed to play six series between 2015 and 2023.
The PCB chief was hopeful that international teams would come and play in Pakistan in the near future.
He said he was recently in London and invited all the teams which have qualified for the World T20.
The World Twenty20 will be played in India next year. “I have had talks with Holland, Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong and Oman and there is chance of them visiting Pakistan. They have to play the tournament in India. I told them the conditions in Pakistan and India are similar, so come and practice in Pakistan,” he said.
He said there was also a chance of an international team coming to
Pakistan. “Nothing has been finalised yet. Call it a Commonwealth team or an international team but that’s in September next year.”
Responding to a question regarding Shahid Afridi’s unimpressive performance in the National T20 Cup, Shaharyar said: “We are hopeful that he will perform. He hasn’t performed well in this championship, but Shahid Afridi is capable of enormous success. He can win you an almost lost match.
“We want to fully support him till the World T20. Afridi is there, very much there and we will support him.”