‘PCB still hopeful of Indian govt clearance’

The PCB chief Shaharyar Khan on Thursday said he is still awaiting BCCI’s written reply on the proposed series later this month besides hoping that the Indian government gives green light to the resumption of cricketing ties in a “day or two”.

While PCB has been playing the waiting game by extending deadlines after deadlines for the BCCI, the Indian cricket board has maintained all along that the decision to play Pakistan rests with its government.

“We are just waiting for a reply (from BCCI),” Shaharyar told a news agency when asked about the likelihood of the series happening given that it’s already the third week of December.

The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) had put forward tentative dates for the series comprising three ODIs and two T20 Internationals in Sri Lanka: December 15-January 4 or December 19-January 4.

Clearly there is very little time to organise the series and both Pakistan and India tour New Zealand and Australia, respectively, in January. When asked about the series taking place at a later date, Shaharyar was non-committal.