PCB Chairman Ashraf was content with the tour of India and believes hosting a home series there was a reasonable idea. PHOTO: FILE EXPRESS
The PCB officials including chairman Zaka Ashraf held a series of meetings with their counterparts during the recently-concluded limited-overs series, where they proposed India to tour Pakistan in August.
However, according to an official close to the matter, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conveyed that it was not possible for them to make a commitment on a return tour as of yet.
“They are not willing to tour Pakistan due to security concerns,” the official told The Express Tribune before adding that the BCCI had also rejected the proposal of playing Pakistan at a neutral venue. “They don’t have a policy of playing series at neutral venues and they are unwilling to change it.”
However, the official further stated that the series could still be possible as the BCCI was considering the proposal to let PCB host the series in India.
Glancing back in time, while most of the cricket fraternity hailed the India tour, many former cricket officials including former International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani opposed the team’s visit to India. According to him, it had been Pakistan’s turn to host them, and by doing the opposite, they were to lose the chance of earning substantial revenues.
Mani had also advised the board to get confirmation of a return visit from the BCCI before agreeing to tour India.
PCB chief remains optimistic
Meanwhile, the PCB chairman negated the impression that India have refused to visit Pakistan.
“No decisive talks have been made yet,” Ashraf told reporters in Lahore on return from New Delhi. “The discussions are underway and hopefully India will come to Pakistan.
“We have proposed to hold our home series in India. This was discussed in my meetings with them, details of which I cannot reveal right now.”
Despite the announcement of tour cancellation from Bangladesh, the PCF chief said the proposed series with India was still on.
“They haven’t refused and the tour is on. It’s the schedule which is being worked out.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.
COMMENTS (55)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Loneliberal PK: can u repeat the question please???
@Thomas Don't ever post things before googling, ppl with such poor knowledge of cricket must not comment on cricket http : / / en . wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistancricketrivalry
@Thomas: well, the point to focus is that India lost at the only place it used to win ....... "ab tera kia ho gaa Thomsaa" ..... ;)
@Candid 1:
First time in 65 years Pakistan won a series in India. These Pakistani morons, yelling and screaming so much about it. They have been beaten so many times by India, but they have no memory. Great a life!!
Indian team traveling to Pakistan ? You must seriously joking.
I was reading the comments made by Indians and it is so funny that they are only talking about the security situation of Pakistan. What about the BCCI's response to play at any neutral venue? Australia, S.A., SL all of them have played Pakistan in UAE or other neutral venue, but look at the attitude of BCCI. They don't have that policy. Hahaha What a hypocrite country and its people!
@Milind: I know Indians ruling class much better because all my ancestors were Indians and Hindus. Pakistan cricket is being punished for Pakistan support of Sri Lankan Army. I wish it wasnt true but it is. Sorry.
@Adnan: If loosing was the issue , with the state of our team we would only tour Zimbabwe . No my friend security is the issue
Zaka Ashraf is lying when he says that the proposal is still under consideration by the BCCI. BCCI has categorically refused to tour Pakistan and has said that unless Australia tours Pakistan, India will not tour Pakistan nor play Pakistan at a neutral venue.
@to those Pakistanis who think they have a better team than India, I only have a sentence for you all and that is "you are dreaming."
They dont want to tour Pakistan because they know they'll lose!
I am sick and tired of PCB begging BCCI to come and play. They are such a weak team, its no challenge for Team Green. Better to focus on leading international teams.
"However, the official further stated that the series could still be possible as the BCCI was considering the proposal to let PCB host the series in India"
WHAT THEEEEEE HHEEEELLLL. I mean what
@Sanjay: 100% agreed. That would be the logical thing to do, but unfortunately people in power seldom go that way.
India always prefer playing with Pakistan when they are on the winning track or before any important serious to prepare.
Nice try Mr Zaka, but we are sorry, if Bangladesh dont want to tour you then you cannot expect us to risk the lives of our players.
Get your house in order first.
This not a news for me..it was understood
I don't understand what does the following mean?
However, the official further stated that the series could still be possible as the BCCI was considering the proposal to let PCB host the series in India.
England has tortured India and now Pakistan at their home , So give them time to think , how to get punishment from Pakistan again.Pakistan really rocks
Pakistanis are afraid of living in their own country how can they offer security to visitors. Our President or the Pm do not venture out of their fortresses fearing death then why would anyone with a mind want to visit Pakistan. As a Pakistani I would like to live somewhere else.
England has tortured India and now Pakistan at their home , So give them time to think , how to get punishment from Pakistan again.Pakistan really rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Folks who are blaming India for not touring should consider this: What purpose is served by putting players at risk? Why should any other cricket administrator venture into such a series, and be blamed if something goes wrong?
Pakistan is far from a normal country. So, normal relations are beyond the control of administrators. It is in the realm of foreign relations. Would Indian govt. risk a major incident to its Cricket team? How will it answer to its public?
Loosing and winning are part of the game. It never features in decisions to where to play. If it did, then India would've never sent teams to Olympics all those years, when it failed to win even one medal.
@A J Khan: A sane voice
@I-Umaid / Mika/ Oops - That's too simplistic of a reasoning.... The BCCI refused to play in Pakistan because of security concerns (which is appropriate given the Sri Lanka fiasco) ... For neutral venues, the PCB probably negotiated for a lower rate which probably led the BCCI to refuse this proposal as well.
Equating BCCI's stance with national pride would be giving it too much credit.. The BCCI being an org of dalals is above all these petty things (e.g. self-respect, national pride).
........and we let them win the last ODI................shame on us.
If we could make ourselves the top-1 ranked cricketing nation in the world, other countries would be falling over backwards to tour Pakistan.
Dear Zaka Ashraf,
Stop begging now. Enough is enough
i think that Indian board should only play new zealand . they can't afford to come to Pakistan now and bear another series loss.
It’s really very embarrassing to see this situation. One thing is for sure the tours would happen because of this begging. So stop this attitude.Lets reflect and figure out how we have landed in this situation and which forces do not want cricket to be played in Pakistan.
Did we find out the culprits of Sri-Lankan team attack??
Did we find out the forces behind the attack??
Did we act to counter the these very forces??
If the answer is No,
Then we have not done our job.
@I-umaid: In your dreams mate... Pakistan is not Australia... you were lucky with the toss at chennai. That match decided the series. Your own citizens are not safe in Pakistan, then how you are going to protect indian team..?
I-Umaid, Victory and defeat apart...were you born this year, last year or the year before that? The last time an Indo-Pak series on Pak soil was on the cards-India REFUSED to come because it was not happy with the security conditions in Pakistan. Sri-Lanka agreed to fill in and were promptly given a full proof of Pakistan's hospitality outside the Stadium at Lahore. Remember? SInce the ICC was not happy with this hospitality-they decided to not allow any international matches on Paki_soil. PCB lost the world cup venues and NO country has toured pakistan since then.Remember? Please stop playing the victim card ad-nauseum. The TV-grabs of the Sri-Lankan team boarding an escape-chopper from the Pitch at Gaddaffi stadium may be nothing unsual for you but it is somethinng every International cricketer will remember fora long long time.
I'm appalled by Indians who think conditions in Pakistan are too 'unsafe' for a friendly visit.
Unsafe as in...people get gang-raped on buses in the middle of Lahore? Indians players have been fed too much phenyl recently by Pakistanis?
What do you think is going to happen to your national team? They'll be given a tour of warzones in Waziristan and FATA and left there to fend for themselves? Don't worry, they can bring their bats in case Pakistanis try to eat them. You know, because that's what we do.
Pakistan could not protect Benazir Bhutto despite assuring her of complete protection, how does anyone think they can protect Dhoni
@Sanjay:
Any reason India refuses to play on neutral venues? There were barely any visa issues to Pakistani spectators so spare us your suggestions. It has been the practice for quite some time now. After Pakistan plays in India; India baulks when it comes to playing at neutral venues like Dubai where Pakistanis can attend and support their team.
“They don’t have a policy of playing series at neutral venues and they are unwilling to change it.”... currently they have a policy of not winning matches ha !
@Yoghurt lover: Sir have you forgotten whatever happened to them in Lahore in 2009?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should not insist on a return visit of Indian team and put itself and another country in a test. Things are still not good enough for arranging such activities. There would be many non state actors who would like to spoil what ever little has been achieved. .
Seems like the defeat has left deep emotional scars on BCCI.
He should ask srilanka
@Yoghurt lover: Because last time they came they were almost killed or have you forgotten
if you promises that pakistan will lose all matches then they will come
Amaan ki asha gone wrong. Looks like they took the defeats too personally.
BCCI has every right to capitalize on the oppurtunity to earn as much as possible from the situation (just being satirical) ...... They don't want to send Indian team to Pakistan owing to security concerns; Understandable ...... They don't want to play at any neutral venue either; Cheap ...... you are trying to sell your team as a commercial commodity in a very cheap way lala gee ...... & dat too in the face of inverted performance graph of the team ...... be a sport & try to think beyond money some times ...... cheers
Yew of course they will not come coz we defeat them on there own soil, they will be white washed in all the formats if they ever com here......
“They don’t have a policy of playing series at neutral venues”
Policy, what policy? BCCI have qualified MBAs in their ranks and they know how to make money, yet these negative tactics did not help their team from humiliation against Eng/Pak, not sure whats next. Its serious time for BCCI to focus on cricket rather than politics.
Zaka Ashraf please don't beg the other countries' cricket teams to come to Pakistan and play because US' war within Pakistan by the civil and military leadership has made Pakistan's internal security at risk and has reached on the edge.First stop/end US' war within Pakistan and rehabilitate Pakistan's internal security conditions to meet the security demands/requirements set by ICC then invite the international cricket team and never imagine that by inviting old and unknown cricketers in Lahore you shall succeed to improve your image before the world and to restore the international cricket in Pakistan....
“They don’t have a policy of playing series at neutral venues" Just exploiting the security situation in Pakistan to make more money.
They are not even ready to play at neutral venue let alone in Pakistan!!!. Reason? Well they feel they'll lose a series again. Pakistan never backs away from a cricket match the way India does.
Pakistan proposes, India disposes.
I don't understand why PCB does not ask Sri Lanka to tour Pakistan.
You always claim to be best friends.
Without any offense to PCB, I would respectfully request them to wait for at least 5-6 months such a period in which there is no acts of terrors happening inside Pakistan. Then they can have some substance in the invites they are rolling out. More than high level security what visitors would like is a feel, their own security perception. This is something I am sure even a kid with reasonable logical abilities would understand but why don't you PCB ?
It's part of same story that Bangladesh & India don't want that Pak international cricket revives.
Mr Zaka Ashraf, Spare us of the embarassments and insults by keep begging other countries to visit when clearly the conditions are not good and in control at home. Instead focus on self sufficiency and spend your energy in establishing a professional league. Even at modest level will be good enough to generate activity for many players and local comerce. Bilateral serieses will become obsolete with time so get ready for the future.
If we can keep on replicating what we did this time, revenue or no revenue...i would prefer we play in India!!