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India to sponsor bilateral series with Pakistan: BCCI
Posted On Nov 24 2015
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“We have sent the report to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and sought permission to play India on a neutral venue”, Shaharyar Khan told AFP, without confirming Sri Lanka as the venue of the series.
“The Indian Ocean is in need of a mutually benefiting security architecture established on a multilateral basis”, the prime minister said at the two-day conference hosted by Sri Lanka’s defence authorities.
Without duvulging any details, both Sethi and Khan had said on Sunday that the meeting with Manohar was “fruitful” giving an indication that the deadlock on the marquee series was broken. The BCCI, on Manohar’s insistence, was opposed to playing in the Gulf and instead wanted the series, supposed to be hosted by Pakistan, to be played in India.
Sri Lanka’s cricket board (SLC) officials confirmed this development to TOI on Monday. “I received a call from the PCB asking about the possibilities of hosting the series”. If the series takes place in Sri Lanka, it will be the first time that a Test playing nation has rejected playing a series in the UAE since it became Pakistan’s adopted home after the 2009 Lahore attacks.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2007.
The matches are to be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and at the Pallekele worldwide Stadium in Kandy. Khan said a final decision on the series will only be taken by Pakistan government. Also with South Africa’s tour of India finishing on December 7 and India travelling to Australia for a limited-overs series from January 12, both boards chose to modify the original schedule. “Clarke is likely to officially announce the series on November 27”, PTI reported from Dubai, quoting sources. “These Sri Lankan fishermen were in custody for IMBL violation”, an official release said. All series were subject to clearance from the respective governments.
BCCI has been insisting to hold the series in India; however, Pakistan wishes the series to be held in its neutral venue UAE, where number of global sides have played full-fledged series against Pakistan.
