India will play us soon: Ijaz Butt

PCB chief confident bilateral series will take place soon.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt has hinted out at the resumption of the Indo-Pak bilateral series following Pakistan’s first visit to India since 2008 to play the semi-final of the World Cup.

“I had a cordial talk with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the bilateral series issue and he has no problems in resuming the series and had given assurance that ties between the two countries would resume soon,” Ijaz told The Express Tribune after his return from India. “I hope something is confirmed this year and we get a complete series comprising Test and One-Day Internationals (ODIs).”

India had pulled out of a tour of Pakistan in 2008 in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. They were due to arrive in Pakistan on January 4, 2008 for three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 but the Indian government stepped in to cancel the tour. Ijaz, however, confirmed the resumption with India touring Pakistan.

“It is India who are due to visit. Wherever they want to play – in Pakistan or at a neutral venue – they can but it will be our turn to host them. I also talked to the Indian board president and he is in agreement that there is a need to work on having a bilateral series soon and the modalities will soon be looked into.”

He also expressed his satisfaction with the overall performance of the team in the World Cup but admitted that their performance in the semi-final could have been better.

“We finished top in the group and that was far from the expectations. But against India our fielding was not up to the mark. You can’t drop four or five chances in a semi-final and still expect to win.”

He also confirmed that Shahid Afridi’s tenure as captain was finished and the reappointment will be discussed in a PCB meeting at a later date.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2011.