CHENNAI: Even as tensions are rising each day between India and Pakistan, their respective cricket boards will meet in Dubai on Monday with the hope of resuming the bilateral series. Though the Centre is yet to respond to a letter sent by BCCI two weeks ago seeking permission to play Pakistan, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel once again reiterated on Saturday that it is unlikely that the two nations will resume bilateral series any time soon.
A BCCI delegation comprising of secretary Amitabh Choudhary, CEO Rahul Johri and MV Sridhar (genral manager, cricket operations) are set to conduct talks with Pakistan Cricket Board’s representatives which includes Shahryar Khan and Najam Sethi with hopes of resuming the bilateral series.
The boards are looking at September to play a three-match ODI series.
Speaking to Express, Goel said that he was unaware that the two boards are meeting in Dubai. “I don’t know about the meeting, but as I said couple of days ago, when it comes to India playing Pakistan in multilateral events, the government has not control. But when it comes to bilateral events we have With what is happening right now, I feel terrorism and sports cannot go side by side.”
The PCB has already slapped the BCCI with a legal notice seeking $70 million as compensation for India refusing to tour Pakistan last year. With the Centre unlikely to give nod, it remains to be seen how the BCCI will respond, particularly with the fact that it has signed a MoU for playing six bilateral series between 2016-2023.
“Our hands are tied when it comes to taking decision of playing Pakistan. We wrote to the central government three months back and have sent two reminders as well. But we haven’t got a reply from them. And the present tensions in the border is not doing any good at all. In fact, one more country wants to host a tri-series involving India and Pakistan, and even that looks highly impossible at the moment,” a board official said.