PCB would support BCCI in matters of mutual interest: Shahryar to Manohar

PCB chairman calls president-designate of BCCI to felicitate him on impending return to the post

CALCUTTA: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shahryar Khan has called the president-designate of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar to congratulate him of impending success.

The two have never met in an official capacity but the PCB chief is ready to change that.

Shahryar is in India where he personally went to offer condolences to the family of late BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Octogenarian Shahryar called the Nagpur-based Manohar to felicitate him for his impending return as the BCCI president.

Read: Shahryar to meet BCCI officials on sidelines of ICC meeting next month

Manohar's anointment is set for Sunday, at the Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai. The SGM has a one-point agenda ‘to fill the vacancy caused by Dalmiya's demise’. His first term as president was from 2008-2011.

"We had a very cordial conversation,” Shahryar told The Telegraph in India, honouring a request to keep the newspaper updated.

“After congratulating Shashank, I told him that the PCB would support the BCCI in every possible manner on matters of mutual interest.

"I sincerely believe that cricket helps build bridges and we should do everything within our reach to do our bit for better relations between our two countries.

"Throughout my life, I've consistently maintained that where there's a will, there's definitely a way."

Shaharyar Khan is trying as hard as possible to get India to play a series with Pakistan and has always maintained that politics should be kept away from cricket.

According to Shaharyar, as quoted by the newspaper, both he and Manohar have ‘agreed’ to meet at some point in the near future.