The much talked-about
India-Pakistan cricket series could
be played out in two parts with Sri
Lanka hosting the limited-overs
games next month and England
being the venue for Test matches
next year.
Speculation is rife that the
arrangement has been agreed
upon during a meeting of BCCI
President Shashank Manohar and
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman
Shaharyar Khan in Dubai but a
formal announcement is yet to
come through.
"PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has
sought permission of Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif and the
foreign ministry to play a limited-
overs series with India in Sri Lanka
next month," a source in the
Ministry of Inter-Provincial
Coordination told PTI.
He said Shaharyar had also
indicated that India was willing to
also play some Tests against
Pakistan next year.
"The plan is that Pakistan would
tour India in 2017 for a full series
while before that India will play us
in two phases. Indications are that
the Tests will be held in England in
summer," he said.
Pakistan is due to tour England for a
full series from July onwards and in
2010 played two Tests against
Australia at the Lord's and
Headingly with considerable
success due to the large South
Asian population in the United
Kingdom.
Another source in the PCB said that
the President of the England and
Wales cricket board Giles Clarke,
who acted as a mediator when
Shashank Manohar and Shaharyar
Khan met in Dubai at the weekend,
had pitched the idea of having the
Tests in England.
The source said Manohar had
outlined the reasons for India
being unwilling to play the
December series in UAE and had
also made it clear to the PCB chief
to stop giving unnecessary
statements in the media on Indo-
Pak cricket.
"Manohar made it clear that cricket
relations were also being affected
because of confidential discussions
between the two boards being
made public in the media," the
source said.
He said both Manohar and Khan had
agreed that they would not reveal
any details about the planned
future series between the two
countries until they got clearances
from their respective governments.
"That is one reason why Shaharyar
has declined to give details of his
meeting with the Indian board
chief," the source said.source-ibnlive.com
India vs Pakistan Test series may be held in England - IBNLive
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