Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated a few days ago that if Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not confirm by Monday, then the series will not take place. As a result, BCCI might face legal actions if this much-talked about India vs Pakistan series does not materialise.
However, both the Boards had agreed to play the series at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already given it a go because he is a lover and a fan of the game. Now it is time for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the final call.
External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is supposed to visit Pakistan next week to help improve bilateral ties. Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has written a letter to the foreign secretary S Jaishankar and also to Swaraj regarding the India vs Pakistan series, which is supposed to be staged later this month.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), India and Pakistan are supposed to play six series in a span of eight years. And this time, it was Pakistan's turn to host India for a full length series. But Indian government are reluctant to give it a green signal.
"Further to our meetings and discussions over the past few weeks regarding the bi-lateral tours between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hereby agree that the senior men's cricket teams of India and Pakistan will play each other as per the schedule...," the then secretary of BCCI Sanjay Patel had written to Najam Sethi of PCB.
Now if this series does not take place BCCI might just have to face the music!
