PCB chief pushes for India-Pak series in December

“The PCB has given me a target that includes improving fitness, attending sessions with a psychiatrist and delivering lectures to young cricketers for awareness against misdeeds as a national player”, Asif, 32, told Reuters during a practice session at the Model Town Ground in Lahore.

It has been learnt by India Today that BCCI would be telling PCB of the series looking to be a far cry and moreover the board being not in a position to decide on its own.

In the Srilanka tour in the first Twenty20 worldwide, Ahmed Shehzad put-up outstanding performance, he was the notable contributor with 46 off 38 balls.

Effectively that leaves the two sides with less than a month in which to host what was, originally, scheduled to be a full series of three Tests, five ODIs and Twenty20s.

The series is supposed to be played this December but despite Pakistani persistence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to confirm that it will go ahead.

“I have written a letter to Mr. Thakur, in the main saying that cricket and politics should be kept apart”, Shaharyar Khan told AFP. “The truth is it is an uphill road for them and they will have to do a lot to show their character and be redeemed in the eyes of many people”, Haroon said.

The two cricket boards also differed over TV broadcast rights – BCCI is not keen on doing business with Ten Sports, Pakistan cricket’s official broadcaster – and Shahryar wrote in the letter, “We have given the broadcasting rights to Ten Sports and the global Cricket Council (ICC) accepts the channel’s bid”.

“I am positive that the BCCI shall be able to convince the Indian government that it ought to honour its MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the PCB”, he added.

“It is always an honor to serve Pakistan cricket and it is always his wish to return something to Pakistan cricket”, he said while responding a question here at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday where he was invited for lunch by KPC Sports Committee with chief selector Haroon Rasheed and former worldwide Abdul Raqeeb. He also said that Pakistan will not play a “home” series in India.