Negotiations still 'open', says PCB after reports of Australia bowing out of tour

PCB wants Cricket Australia to visit for security recce before making any decision on future of ODIs in the country

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday said that negotiations with the Cricket Australia (CA) are currently "open and ongoing" regarding Australia's short tour to Pakistan later this year.

The PCB wanted CA to visit Pakistan for a security recce before making a decision on whether Australia will play ODIs - this despite a CA spokesperson ruling out the prospect of Australia playing in the country over the weekend, according to the ESPNcricinfo.

The two sides are lined up to play five ODIs, beginning in late March, that would presumably be held in the UAE. But as Pakistan aims to bring international cricket back to the country, the PCB has been quite enthusiastic for Australia to play a couple of games in Pakistan.

"We want to see international cricket return to Pakistan - the country has a huge passion for it," the CA spokesperson was quoted as saying in the Age on Sunday.

"However, the safety of our players and support staff is our number one priority and we won't compromise that. We'll continue to take advice from a range of government agencies and our own security intelligence and act on this accordingly.



"At this stage, we are not contemplating moving our current bilateral-tour arrangements from taking on Pakistan in the UAE, when they host the next series, but we do remain open to the idea of playing in the country again. We formally advised the PCB of this position in early January."

The PCB stated holding that communication on January 2. Five days later, however, Ehsan Mani, the board's chairman, wrote to his CA counterpart Earl Eddings, hinting that the board at least send a recce team first to examine the security arrangements.

"The PCB chairman wrote a letter to the CA chairman on January 7, in which he had suggested that the CA, as part of a standard protocol and process for bilateral series, should send their recce team to Pakistan to receive presentations on Pakistan's security arrangements," a PCB spokesman said.

"The PCB is still waiting for a response from the CA. Until the PCB hears further from the CA on their January 7 letter, we will consider this as an open and an ongoing discussion."

Australia is the only full member to have not toured Pakistan in the last 20 years. Meanwhile, Pakistan has 'hosted' home bilateral internationals against Australia in Colombo, the UAE and England.

This article originally appeared on ESPNcricinfo