The covers come off: PM Nawaz approves cricket series with India

Five matches to be played from Dec 15 in Sri Lanka

NEW DELHI/ ISLAMABAD:

After months of wrangling, it seems that Pakistan will take on arch-rivals India in five limited overs matches in Sri Lanka later in December after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave his approval for the series on Thursday.

Replying to a letter by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shahryar Khan seeking permission to host India at a location other than the UAE, following the latter’s objection, Nawaz gave his preliminary approval.

“The PM has principally given permission for the cricket series and a letter in this regard will soon be dispatched from the PM House to the PCB,” a PM House official said.

While directing the PCB to hold the event at a neutral venue, Nawaz said that the series can be held after all security measures have been reviewed.

The move was confirmed by Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, who said that the PM had consented to the series at a neutral venue.

While there was no official word from either Pakistani or Indian cricketing authorities on the venue or the exact date for the series, Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Rajiv Shukla announced that five matches will be played from December 15 in Sri Lanka.

"India-Pakistan series will happen tentatively from December 15 in Sri Lanka,” Shukla told the ANI news agency last Friday. With details of the series yet to be finalised, Pakistan and India are expected to play three ODIs and two T20Is matches.



The series, part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) schedule, had been in doubt after talks between the PCB chief and his Indian counterpart, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar, were scuppered by Hindu extremists in Mumbai last month.

Before their meeting in Dubai earlier this month, India had reportedly communicated to the PCB that they were not in favour of playing in the UAE, Pakistan’s default neutral venue. However, Pakistan objected that the series had been marked as a home series on the ICC calendar hence they could not play it in India.

Discussions surrounding the venue thus remained the focus of the meeting between the two boards at the ICC’s headquarters in Dubai earlier this week.  There were reports that either Bangladesh or Sri Lanka would be chosen as the venue, but neither board confirmed this.

However, BCCI sources suggest that the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy have been earmarked for the series.

Govt had to be convinced

According to sources in the PM House, PCB Executive Committee chief Najam Sethi had played a key role in convincing Nawaz, members of his cabinet and stakeholders to back the series.

It is believed that Sethi briefed Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and others on the pros and cons of holding the series at a third venue.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2015.