India, Pakistan deadlock continues on cricket series

PCB chairman said the meeting with Shashank Manohar had been "fruitful"

DUBAI: The deadlock over a proposed series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan continued despite a meeting between the heads of the two boards in Dubai on Sunday, described as "fruitful" but without a breakthrough.

The newly-elected president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar, who is in Dubai to familiarise with the working of the International Cricket Council (ICC), invited Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan for a meeting at the ICC headquarters.

The meeting was also attended by PCB Executive Committee head Najam Sethi and Giles Clarke, the president of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The PCB chairman said the meeting with Manohar had been "fruitful."

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"We had a fruitful meeting in which Sethi was there, Clarke was there as facilitator, it was a fruitful meeting and the decision is that Clarke will brief the media tomorrow," Shahryar told media.

"We have also decided that there will be no further briefing. I am not in a position to say more than this."

Earlier in the day, Manohar told The National newspaper that India have not received a reply from the PCB on a proposal to play the matches in India.

"We want to play in India. That is the thing," Manohar said. "Presently, we gave an option to Pakistan asking them whether they will come to India. Pakistan was to get back to me, they haven't got back to me. So I don't know what is the position."

Shahryar maintained his team will not travel to India and would play the series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as agreed under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year.

He said a final decision on the series will only be taken by the Pakistani government.

"The matter is now political," the PCB chairman said on Friday. "Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif has directed us that any decision will now be taken by the government and not by the PCB."

Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2007.

India stalled cricketing ties in the aftermath of 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which were blamed on militants based in Pakistan.

Under the MoU both the boards had agreed to play six series between 2015-2023, with four series to be hosted by Pakistan.

But all series were subject to clearance from the respective governments.

The December-January series comprises two Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals but with time running out the series could be shortened to limited over matches.

There are reports that another neutral venue - Sri Lanka or Bangladesh - could also be considered, if India continued to refuse UAE as a venue.

The PCB had hoped that mediation by Clarke, also in Dubai to meet Manohar later Sunday, could help ensure a breakthrough on the fate of the series.