Won’t play India in India until they play Pakistan home series first: Sethi

PCB Executive Committee head says their demands are ‘non-negotiable’

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Executive Committee head Najam Sethi on Friday said that they won’t be playing India in India until the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honours the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to the MoU signed between the two boards, Pakistan and India were to play six series over the period of eight years between them.

However, due to the political tensions between the countries, the Indian government did not allow their players to participate in a series against Pakistan in Pakistan or in UAE or any other neutral venue.

Recently, the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, while addressing media at the Karachi Press Club, said that they are ready to play India in India, but the BCCI needs to agree to face them first.

But on Friday, in a clarification, Shaharyar was quoted as saying “that his comment on agreeing to play in India was related to the contract between PCB and BCCI signed in 2014 according to which six bilateral series had been agreed over an eight-year period.”

The clarification statement further read: “Pakistan had agreed to host four series in Pakistan or any third country like UAE or Sri Lanka with mutual consent, while India was to host two series in India. BCCI has failed to fulfil this contract as a result of which PCB has sent a legal notice to BCCI.

The statement also highlighted that Pakistan is ready to play India in India only if they first play Pakistan’s home series. “PCB is ready to play in India despite security threats but only as part of the contract it has signed in 2014 with BCCI, in which it is clearly noted that first India will play Pakistan in Pakistan’s home series, be it in Pakistan or a neutral venue.”

Adding to the clarification, Sethi replied to a question saying “PCB’s policy is Pakistan will not play India in India until India has played Pakistan in Pakistan [or a] third country as per the 2014 MoU. This is non-negotiable.”

PCB policy is Pak will NOT play India in India UNTIL India has played Pak in Pak/Third Country as per 2014 MOU. This is non-negotiable. https://t.co/sbIXAQCIPw

— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) May 12, 2017

Pakistan and India last faced each other in a bilateral series in 2012 and since then they have been playing against each other only the International Cricket Council’s events.

PCB, recently, sent a notice of dispute to the BCCI for not fulfilling the MoU. The step came before PCB took the legal route, as they considered ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee's terms of reference that an ICC member should exercise Clause 5, which covers good-faith negotiations, and make three attempts to resolve the dispute.