Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi said that the BCCI has neither approved nor refused to compete against Pakistan in 19 matches in the new bilateral series plan which came about at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Auckland few days ago.
The arch-rivals are scheduled to play 19 matches according to the new Future Tours Program schedule which would be effective from 2019, for a four-year period according to the ICC’s recommendations.
He said, “The ICC floated an FTP for all Test playing nations for the period 2019-2023 including the Pakistan-India matches. The BCCI has neither approved nor rejected the proposed FTP.”
Sethi also added that Pakistan had opposed the FTP as it wanted the ICC to include the same number of matches under this program as was there in the MoU, which was signed between the boards of the two countries in 2014.
“We are sure India will eventually want the ICC to include the clause of government clearance in the FTP for matches between the two countries. But at the Auckland meeting they neither approved nor rejected the proposed 19 matches,” he said.
He also went on to say that Pakistan had conveyed it to the ICC that they wanted the BCCI to complete it’s obligations as was mentioned in the MoU.
Sethi however made it clear that the PCB’s plans of submitting a compensation claim of USD 70 million to the ICC’s dispute resolution committee against India for not playing two home series under the MoU, was a completely different matter.
“That compensation claim is a different matter and we are waiting for the ICC board to ratify some amendments to the disputes resolution clause after which our case is prepared. We are seeking compensation for two series that we were supposed to host against India in 2014 to 2016,” Sethi said.
The PCB chief also highlighted the fact that India refused to compete in a bilateral series even in a neutral venue and he also went on to say that the ICC had decided to keep India-Pakistan matches in both the World Test League and World ODI League, which is slated to begin from 2019.
“But I think the problem of Pakistan and India matches in these leagues will only be resolved in the coming months,” Sethi opined.
He said that India’s refusal to compete against them in the FTP matches or even the World League should lead them to lose points according to the ICC rules and regulations. He also added that India fulfilling it’s obligations under the signed MoU would determine as to whether Pakistan would sign World League documents or not.
1 comment
Good man