In light of events: Chances of Pakistan-India series slim, says Shaharyar

PCB chairman reveals he is yet to be contacted by BCCI after Shiv Sena protests

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s cricket chief Shaharyar Khan said on Tuesday he was not optimistic about resuming ties with India after hard-line Hindu activists sabotaged talks between the two sides.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar was due to meet Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar on Monday but the meeting was cancelled after far-right activists stormed the BCCI’s Mumbai office in protest.

Shaharyar said his hopes of talks being rescheduled were dashed after he failed to hear from the BCCI bosses. “I came here to engage with the BCCI [but] there has been no word as to how they intend to move forward from here,” he said. “It is very clear there are pressures here that are preventing the BCCI from taking a position regarding the series. I am not optimistic now after what has happened here.”

Akram, Akhtar to be sent back to Pakistan over Shiv Sena threat

The PCB chairman was referring to the storming of BCCI premises by activists of Shiv Sena, a junior ally of the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The arch-rivals had signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which they agreed to play six series between 2015-2023, all pending clearance from the two governments.

The first of those was scheduled for December and January in the UAE.

Shaharyar said he could not “wait forever” to hear from the BCCI bosses.

Seething hate: Shiv Sena storms BCCI over Pakistan cricket talks

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who is the head of BJP’s youth wing and an influential MP, virtually ruled out playing Pakistan until political tensions eased significantly. “I had made it clear earlier as well that talks can continue between the boards, but cricket will only happen when conditions improve,” he said.

Shaharyar, meanwhile, ruled out Pakistan’s withdrawal from the World T20 in India in March and April next year. “I don’t see that and hope things will improve by then,” said Shaharyar, responding to calls from former Pakistan players to pull out of the event. “Our stance has always been that cricket and politics should be kept separate and we maintain that.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2015.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.