PCB challenges BCCI’s newly proposed FTP

India board did not include matches against Pakistan in new schedule

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday said that they will not agree to sign on any new International Cricket Council-proposed (ICC) schedules if there are no matches against India in them.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in a special general meeting on Monday, came up with a Future Tours Program (FTP) which did not include any matches against Pakistan.

However, PCB is ready to challenge the FTP.

"PCB has informed the ICC that it has initiated a dispute resolution process against the BCCI under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee Terms of Reference," a PCB release said. "Further to that, the PCB's claim is based on an existing agreement with the BCCI which contemplates that India will tour Pakistan in December 2019, August 2020 and Nov-Dec 2022 and Pakistan will tour India in Nov-Dec 2021."

The PCB insisted that it will agree to the new FTP based on the outcomes of the dispute resolution proceedings.

"Under the prevailing circumstances, it is PCB's position that if the Dispute Resolution Committee decides the dispute in PCB's favour, then any FTP will need to be adjusted to reflect the decision," the PCB said. "Any agreement of the PCB to any new FTP structure will therefore be without prejudice to its existing claims against BCCI and will be subject to the outcome of the ICC dispute resolution process.”

PCB reiterated that India versus Pakistan matches should be included in the FTP.

"Our position is that PCB's agreement to the revised structures for international cricket is subject to the condition that PCB has a valid agreement to play bilateral matches with India and India versus Pakistan matches would be included in the FTP,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, BCCI said Pakistan-India matches, outside of the ICC events, cannot be organised due to a lot of factors.

"It is something which...it is a question which is embedded not in the matrix of cricket alone. That is publicly recognised. Unless you put together all factors that determine an event, it is futile attempting to answer that question,” BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said.