Dubai: The suspense over the proposed short bi-lateral cricket series between India and Pakistan at the end of this month continued with a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) questioning the wisdom of resuming cricketing ties with the ongoing tension at a border shared by the two countries.
Earlier in the day, media reports suggested the likelihood of a short series between the neighbours from December 24 to January 5 but only if the much-anticipated series was to get the green signal from the Indian government this week.
Quoting a reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), news agency PTI said the tentative dates discussed were meant for a short series of three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches.
“The series will be played probably in Sri Lanka in such a manner that both the teams leave for their tours to New Zealand and Australia straight from Colombo,” the source said.
However, Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary and an influential member of parliament of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), struck a discordant note when he told a national TV channel: “We cannot play cricket with Pakistan when people are dying [at] the border.”
The PTI report said the Indian board had indicated that it wanted to give its players a rest period of around 10 to 12 days before the series against Pakistan.
While India have to travel to Australia around January 6 or 7, Pakistan are scheduled to leave for New Zealand for a limited-over series on January 7.
“Most probably both teams will go from Colombo directly to their destinations,” the source said.
He said Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis had also informed the PCB that if the series against Indian goes ahead, then he would like to have a week-long camp in Sri Lanka before the matches.
He said there was also a possibility that the series could be reduced to two ODIs and two T20 matches since the time required to complete logistical and organisational details by the PCB was fast running out.
“The PCB also has to contend with the fact that it’s [the] rainy season in Colombo in December and they will have to select venues in consultation with the Sri Lanka Cricket carefully so that bad weather does not affect these matches,” the source said.
