Shaharyar refuses to give up on India series

PCB chiefs hopes ECB President Giles Clarke will help in achieving breakthrough

LAHORE: Time and again Shaharyar Khan has “give up hope” but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman refuses to close the chapter of bilateral series against India.

On Monday, a day after publicly conceding that it was game over on the proposed Indo-Pak cricket series taking place, Shaharyar once again extended deadline for Indian cricket board (BCCI) “till tonight” to take a final call on the series.

Shaharyar told reporters in Lahore that the series against India was still not officially called off.

PCB’s chiefs fading hopes are pinned on the support being shown by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) president Giles Clarke.

“I have asked Giles Clarke to bring an answer from India. He is going to call me in the evening to tell me the final reply from the Indians,” he said. “Then we will decide what to do.”

Clarke is believed to be playing the role of a mediator between the Pakistan and Indian Cricket Boards and was also present at a meeting between Khan and BCCI chief Shashank Manohar in Dubai last month.

“We have taken our decision. We want to play against India. It is their decision now.”

The Indian government’s delay on taking a decision regarding the series has already infuriated a lot of people from Pakistan but Shaharyar has said that the series will go ahead if they receive a reply now.

“It will be very difficult but we will manage a series against India if they say yes,” he said.

Pakistan’s government gave permission for the series soon after the two boards had met in Dubai with ECB president as mediator. However, the Indian government hasn’t forwarded any reply on the concerned series.

Meanwhile, the indecision over the bilateral series between India and Pakistan took a whole new turn after Manohar claimed he had no idea of any letter sent by PCB requesting the BCCI to clarify its stance on the series.

Shaharyar said the series was all but canned as they hadn’t received any reply from the BCCI to their letter, requesting for a definite decision on the series. But Manohar said he wasn’t aware of any such communication. “I am not aware of any such letter,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

Shaharyar, on his part, said that having waited for more than 48 hours for a reply from the BCCI, the PCB was finally shelving plans for the series, although an official announcement would be made only on Monday.

“We haven’t received a reply from the BCCI till Saturday evening. Therefore, we are closing this chapter now. We will, however, make an announcement in this regard on Monday,” he said.

According to Shaharyar, the letter was sent on December 10 and he had written that Pakistan would wait for a day or two before cancelling the series which was supposed to be held in Sri Lanka.