India to play Pakistan in Dubai? BCCI seeks govt approval
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 29, 2017
NEW DELHI: Indian cricket board has sought the government permission to play cricket series against Pakistan in Dubai, Indian media reports said.
According to media reports, BCCI in a letter to the Home Ministry has sought permission to play Pakistan to complete their obligations under the Future Tours & Programme (FTP) agreement which was inked in 2014.
The Indian board is willing to play a series in Dubai, which is the home venue of the Pakistan cricket team.
The board is looking at a September or November window to play Pakistan. The BCCI had reserved September for the Champions League T20 but the tournament has been discontinued. According to a report the BCCI wants a short series in November in Dubai before the Indian team’s cricket tour of South Africa.
According to a source the board has sought permission but don’t know what the government stands for.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan, however, in a media report said on Wednesday that the Indian cricket board has so far not contacted the PCB over the holding any bilateral series.
He called the BCCI move good omen for cricket adding that “the PCB will also seek permission from the government of Pakistan, if the Indian government grants permission to the Indian cricket board.”
Pakistan weighs legal options
Khan recently said the board had completed its homework on the legal options available to press a case against the Indian board for its refusal to play Pakistan in a full bilateral series since 2007 resulting in losses of millions of dollars to Pakistan cricket.
“Our legal preparations are complete but first we will take up the issue of the scheduled series with India in November-December this year at the ICC meeting next month,” said Khan.
“We want to first talk with the new representatives of Indian cricket board in the ICC meeting and ask them about the status of the scheduled series under the MOU signed between both boards in 2014,” he said.
The PCB chief also admitted that the Federation of International Cricketers Association was a big hurdle in the way of international cricket returning to Pakistan.