While Ashraf continued to show his desperation, an official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the revival could not take place overnight and a meeting was yet to be held on the issue.
“We can’t confirm anything in this regard,” a BCCI official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. “The top management is yet to hold a discussion with the PCB chairman and saying anything will be premature. There’s been no development and we won’t be making hasty decisions.”
One of the first tasks undertaken by the PCB chairman since taking over the post was to ask the BCCI to restore bilateral series, even if it meant surrendering their scheduled home series.
Ashraf’s stance is in stark contrast to that of his predecessor Ijaz Butt’s, who remained adamant on hosting India for next year’s series to cover for the financial loss PCB suffered due to the cancellation of previous tours.
The two countries have not played a series since relations were strained between the two governments in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
However, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme brackets the two sides for a series in March-April next year. Recently, the ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat also pledged support to the revival of the series.
Both boards came close to finalising the series after Butt’s visit to India in August before his statement saying that the series will be hosted by Pakistan, halted the progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.
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