Karachi: The Pakistan government has restrained the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from initiating any dialogue with the BCCI on the issue of a long-pending bilateral series, which has been scuttled repeatedly on account of volatile political ties between the two nations.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said that until the government gave fresh directions, the PCB had given up on talking to the Indian board on resumption of bilateral cricket ties in the near future. “The government has made it clear to us that we are not supposed to engage in any dialogue with our Indian counterparts nor give any statements on Indo-Pak cricket ties until further orders,” Khan said.
The career diplomat said this was the reason why the PCB had avoided any discussions with the BCCI officials at the recent ICC meetings. Khan, however, said the election of Anurag Thakur as the new Chairman of the BCCI was a positive development for future talks between the two cricket boards.
“Thakur, to me, represents both the BCCI and their government so it will be easier talking to one person when the time comes,” he said. Thakur holds an important position in India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and is an elected member of parliament.
Shaharyar said Pakistan cricket had suffered massive revenue losses after the BCCI backed out of playing a bilateral series even at neutral venues in January.
“We did all we could to convince them to resume bilateral ties but they didn’t respond in the same manner; so now even our government has said put a lid on further discussions,” he said.
India has not played a full bilateral series with Pakistan since the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 although Pakistan did tour India in the winter of 2012-13 for a short goodwill tour.
Shaharyar meanwhile indicated he might step down on August 20 after completing two years in office. “Mind you, I have taken no final decision as yet on whether I will step down or continue but when I was initially appointed as chairman, the patron-in-chief gave me a two-year tenure, which ends on August 20th,” he said.
He, however, minced no words in expressing his disappointment at the prevailing cricket culture in Pakistan. “It is disappointing and drags you down that every time the team does not do well the knives are out for the board officials. If anything, after the World T20, Sri Lanka who were the defending champions, Australia and England should all have been more disappointed than us at not performing well in the event. But, in Pakistan, the board is held responsible for everything,” he said.
