Khan does not want the series to be held in India
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that their proposed bilateral series will only go ahead as planned if it is played in India.
According to the Future Tours Programme (FTP), India are scheduled to face Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan confirmed that BCCI president Shashank Manohar has called him while he was giving a lecture at the Lahore Universty of Management and Science (LUMS).
“At about five in the afternoon yesterday, I was giving a lecture at Lahore Universty of Management and Science (LUMS) when [BCCI president] Shashank Manohar called me,” Khan said. “He told me that the Indo-Pak cricketing ties should resume and the BCCI has got the permission from the Indian government. He said Pakistan should travel to India to play the series.
“I only understood slowly, after a lot of disturbance, about his offer to play in India. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between both countries [last year] had stated that both countries would play in the UAE. Secondly, he said we would play the matches at places where there is no danger, like in Mohali and Kolkata.”
Manohar revealed that the BCCI will be approaching the Indian government about hosting the series and hinted that he and Khan could be in contact once again in the next few days.
“We have not yet approached the government. But yes, I have talked to him [Khan] over phone and we may talk again in the next couple of days,” he told PTI.
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur added that cricketing ties between both nations will resume only if the series takes place in India.
“We can only start talking if they agree to play in India,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo. “It was not possible to play in Pakistan and a neutral venue as the Indian government would not give the permission. To keep the India-Pakistan series alive the BCCI has made an effort and spoken to the PCB [to see] if they are keen to play in India. Then we can take matters forward, and we can talk and discuss with the [Indian] government and further work out the details of the series.”
However, Khan made it clear that he cannot allow that to happen as the PCB would lose approximately $50 million if the series is shifted from the United Arab Emirates to India.
“I told him that we had signed the agreement to play in the UAE and we want to stick to that,” he said. “Secondly, we would suffer massive losses, considering hosting even one series would amount to $50 million. And we are talking about the MoU, which was signed for six series.
“I told him I am not saying we are coming to India to play the series, but what is it that you are thinking of to offset such a big loss?”
Khan also admitted that he is worried about the security situation in India as political organisations like the Shiv Sena are opposed to the idea of Pakistan playing in India.
Last month, Shiv Sena activists barged into the BCCI headquarters, which led to scheduled talks between Manohar and Khan being cancelled.
“You are saying we should come to India, but whenever any Pakistani goes there Shiv Sena and others oppose that,” Khan said. “That creates a security problem for us. Why are you then saying we should come to India? You should come to a place [the UAE] where there is no problem of security.”