The Pakistan team did tour India for a short limited over series in December 2012-January 2013 but a full series was not agreed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). PHOTO: BCCI
Pakistan is expected to host four of the matches over the next eight years, after its cricket board said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with India on the issue, and pending a legal agreement.
"The Future Tours Program (FTP) for Pakistan between 2015 and 2023 will have six tours with India, four of which will be hosted by Pakistan," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told AFP.
Reports had been circulating since last month that a full series would be played between the two nations as early as next year after the PCB conditionally agreed to a reorganisation of the game's administration, the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will give India a bigger say in its governance.
India suspended all bilateral series with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 attacks, which New Delhi blamed on militants based across the border.
The Pakistan team did tour India for a short limited over series in December 2012-January 2013 but a full series was not agreed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Ahmad said the six tours would involve "14 Tests, 30 one-days and 12 T20s". The PCB expected the tours to be written into legally binding agreements "as soon as possible," he added.
The PCB wanted the first of the series to be played on home ground but if the security situation was not conducive to it the match will be played in the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan have not hosted any international cricket since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.
If the series goes ahead it will mark the biggest success for Pakistan in recent years after a prolonged isolation at the international level due to security fears.
Pakistan last played a full series in India in 2007 while India last toured Pakistan in 2006.
The cricket matches between Pakistan and India are widely seen as the most sought after in cricket globally, with billions watching them on television around the world.
COMMENTS (46)
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@US CENTCOM: Re: Cricket - India versus Pakistan Dear Ali, I think this is the first time I have agreed with something emanating from CENTCOM. Keep up the good work.
Not gonna happen Sweet dream. "Dil behalaney ke leya, Galib Khyall achha hai" Singh
It is great news. At the end of the day, I just want to see both teams competing on the field. They certainly bring the best out of each other, and I cannot wait to watch them play against each other.
Ali Khan
@salman: "yes India is an average team as a whole." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And Pakistan below average!
BCCI shoud not forget SAethis comment on the Big Three Proposal +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ India must teach him a lesson.
@sherrry: Madam....as in Rehman? +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Do you also play cricket?
@Reddy: "if and when pakistan becomes free of terrorism people do come and play in pakistan…" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mr Sethi has joined the negotiation team with Taliban to reach an agreement that no cricketing team will be attacked....but only if all teams will convert to Sharia before the matches.
if and when pakistan becomes free of terrorism people do come and play in pakistan...which is not happening atleast not in this decade @M: and paki agencies will be sleeping like they did when osama caught napping right next to your military compound or they keep themselves busy fighting darnedest terrorists called malala, hamid mir...
@Salman tell that when you win more world cups,t-20 world cups, champion trophies, junior world cups than india. Ultimately what the The world report card i.e rankings say matters not what a biased prejudiced Pakistani has to say about india. So the report says we are 1st in world t-20s, 2nd in ODIs. Why should I bother about your biased views then? @Sherry yes we are sane people and that is why we want you to jail those insane people roaming free threatening to do things again while you ignore and blink eyes to them. This dual strategy will not be accepted. If your intentions where so true and you find both countries relationship so important why don't you punish those people and apply salve to wounds of us mumbaikars who saw the Diwali like carnage live for three days on tv and streets? And you except us to give them red carpet welcome? Mumbai is financial capital bcci office is in Mumbai, we hold a lot of weight. Rest of country may still have warm feelings. But attacking the hub does have serious repercussions.
@Polpot: No it doesn't Shoaib akhter is not playing cricket anymore
Indian cricket team seems impossible to come to Pakistan to play just due the poor and insecure Pakistan's internal conditions and methinks even I am sure that for the these cricket matches between Pakistan and India neutral venues shall be preferred most UAE's grounds but as far as Pakistan's cricket team is concerned then Pakistan cricket team may easily go to India because Indian internal conditions are far better than Pakistan and in India security threats are very less than Pakistan.....
Comments section says it all Its not BCCI, its indian people who politicise cricket eventually its the mindset of Indian people that usually prevails instead of sanity
@Dhanish:
yes India is an average team as a whole. They play slightly better( that too in batting dept only) when playing on dead Asian rubber pitches. No need to discuss further here. Period.
I can bet Indian Agencies are making plans to attack their own cricket team, like they did with the Sri Lankans.
"Pakistan is expected to host four of the matches over the next eight years," ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So this is all about expectation. Where is the confirmation from india? Keep expecting till the cows come home.
India must suspend all Cricketing ties with Pakistan in retaliation for the suspension of Indian journalists. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Come on BCCI.
@Bewildered: "Why India is so afraid of playing cricket with Pakistan?" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Because Indians can face bowling not bullets. Does that explain?
@John u are kidding right? good looking? Oh yes veenas and Meeras are so good looking my eyes started hurting when they came here to find work. Now that your beauties are back home after flop of their "beauties" I suggest you keep them there while we keep our former miss world,universe,earth,pacific title holders. Our male female stars have won French,American,uk,morroco etc honours have yours? Ash,sonam,Frieda pinto are global ambassador for loreal and work along side international stars like Eva and do adv and charity auctions. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MT5v9fWesxc. I see three indians amongst eight world famous beauties and stars of world representatives here. Even china only has one in it not one from yours. See the world tilt in terms of beauty standard? Come out of delusion world is not how you you perceive it to be.
I would like to say something positive about India/Pakistan relations, and I think I can when we talk about cricket. Obviously, politicians in the sub-continent appear incapable of solving a relatively simple inter relationship problem using so called diplomatic techniques, which have never worked anywhere. However, cricket is something which almost everybody enjoys and identifies with. With just a little thought India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan could use simple tools such as cricket to get back on track. Somehow, I do not think it will happen.
Uhoh bad news for Pakistan cricket as the corrupt and self respect devoid Pakistani rulers and officials will make Pakistani team lose to return the "huge" indian favor of agreeing to play with Pakistan. What a shame dying to play with sordid prejudiced people who keep cussing and cursing us.
@john tell me that when you win any world beauty pageants india has endless list who wins hands down. So you so called "good looks" is only in your self obsessed narcissistic mind the world doesn't see you that way or you would have won not india.
@salman the average team you mentioned is at number one position in world t20champion ranking. Second after australia in odi ranking. While you are 3rd and 6th. The team are hailing World Cup champions not you , won Icc champion trophy and where t20 World Cup finalist. While you exited after loosing from team like west indies. Get your standing? Before demeaning other country kindly look at your own country flaws..
@john tell me that when you win any world beauty pageants india has endless list who wins hands down. So you so called "good looks" is only in your self obsessed narcissistic mind the world doesn't see you that way or you would have won not india.
@salman the average team you mentioned is at number one position in world t20champion ranking. Second after australia in odi ranking. While you are 3rd and 6th. The team are hailing World Cup champions not you , won Icc champion trophy and where t20 World Cup finalist. While you exited after loosing from team like west indies. Get your standing? Before demeaning other country kindly look at your own country flaws.
@John:
unfortunately even that does not hold good anymore I
I think its a good gesture from BCCI , but if Modhi gets in power then this ain't happening !
Not interested. India is an average team. Pak should play SA and Aus more if not in Pakistan than in UAE.
To all those Indians trolling us on our misfortune,You can play all the cricket you want and be the number one cricket team and the most richest as well,we on the other hand would always be better looking :)
Looks like the series is arranged by Hafiz Sayeed and financed by Dawood Ibrahim.
I doubt even the 'friendly' country like sri lanka won't be visiting the land of pure in the next 8 years.
If the series goes ahead it will mark the biggest success for Pakistan in recent years after a prolonged isolation at the international level due to security fears.
It is never going to happen. If at all, it will be India's B team.
@ali: @sridhar: @Asif: Matches will be hosted by Pakistan. His does ot mean they will be played in Pakistan. pakistan's home ground is in UAE. So until such imes as safety in Pakistan does not mprove, they wold be played in UAE. Hosting smoky has to do with wo gets the revenue for the matches.
@Bewildered: No country is ENTITLED to play with another country. India has never refused to play wign Pakistan in any World tournament - so the question of being afraid does not arise. It is a question of scheduling it based on other commitments of Indian players including almost 2 months related to IPL.
We want football not lazy sport cricket plz
Rubbish - stop day dreaming why would India want to come to Pak to play cricket reckon their Biased Govt would never allow it.. It's false hope
Presumably they're not too keen on getting shot. It does get in the way of, you know, living and stuff.
@Bewildered India is not afraid of Pakistan in cricket, but no one would like getting blownup by playing inside Pakistan after what happened with Sri Lankan team, right? Also, India has kept its distance from Pakistan due to the sudden, random, unexpected attacks on Indian citizens by the non-state actors arising out of Pakistan. Like, India invited Pakistani cricketers to participate in IPL. And the next year, Mumbai attacks happen, so relations between the two countries get bad. Everytime when there's a hope things are getting better, something goes wrong. Like Kargil or Mumbai attacks or Parliament attack or beheading of Indian soldiers, etc. etc.
@Bewildered: Read before commenting: 14 Tests, 30 one-days and 12 T20s
Matches will be played in Pakistan, as in, its "home ground" UAE, right?
@biwildered afraid after you lost World Cup match in mohali and 20-20 World Cup match to us? Nope We have self respect we don't want to play with country that gives guns with one hand and roses with other. Terror and friendly sports,trade,business don't ho hand in hand. We suffered enough by these non state actors of our neighbours. Punish the Mumbai attackers who are roaming free giving more anti india attacking speeches. Or don't bother talking about sports or anthing otherwise. The new govt should squash bcci deal till they punish the perpetrators and give the victims justice.
@Bewildered "Why India is so afraid of playing cricket with Pakistan?"
You should ask why is India or any other team so afraid to play "in" Pakistan.
@ali: Read it carefully. The matches will be hosted by Pakistan not only in Pakistan.
If and only if there is peaceful situation in Islamic Republic of Pakistan, than the first match may possibly be played in Pakistan.
A joke so soon after expulsion of two Indian journalists from Pakistan.
More Sethisms that I'm not falling for. To be sure these tours are not happening to Pakistan
@ Sridhar when they cannot host cricket matches, just publish news item like this on play cricket in the mind...like a delusion.
Only 14 test matches in 9 years (2 in a tour in 18 months)? Why India is so afraid of playing cricket with Pakistan?
You can be sure this is not happening. Nobody is stupid enough to visit Pakistan after what happened to Sri Lankan team. This is a pipe dream.
very happy news atleast some dead business will grow up due to cricket! in Pakistan