No question of playing in India, says PCB chief

Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday rejected India’s offer to host their proposed bilateral cricket series in December, throwing the already-uncertain rubber into jeopardy yet again.

Hopes of the series taking place had revived substantially over the past few days but PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan made it clear that there was no question of a Pakistan team visiting India for the series.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar had called Shahryar Khan last Saturday with the offer of holding the tournament in India and had told his counterpart to seek his government’s permission.

But Shahryar made it clear that the series would be possible only if India play in the UAE, the adopted home of the Pakistan cricket team since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. “There is no question of playing in India. I am still awaiting the reason of not playing in UAE,” Shahryar told ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

“We went there in 2007 and 2012. This time not again. It is our series and we will play at our home venue which is the UAE. What is the problem playing in UAE as they had also played their IPL there as well so why not Pakistan series?,” he added. There was no immediate word from the BCCI top brass on this latest development.