|
|
Indo-Pak series possible, but at neutral venue. posted under: India | All news |
 India and Pakistan have shared some of the most intense memories cricket has to offer, whether it be iconic victories which created some of the biggest names in the sport today, or the greatest upsets the world has witness. The recent past had seen the neighbors putting a stop to their cricket ties, but after recent under-goings, everything might come back to normal… Well, almost..
Foreign secretary-level talks that took place this past week regarding the situation, ended with just one substantial breakthrough. Government sources have confirmed that India and Pakistan will work on an agreement that will see them share expenses to start off the arch-rivalry again, at a neutral venue.
The move was first proposed by Pakistan’s foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, to his counterpart from India, Ranjan Mathai. Jilani had said at a press interaction on Thursday that he had made some suggestions for resumption of cricketing ties, but did not elaborate anything specific. Sources have also said the Governments of the two countries will not come in the way of both the cricket boards when the decision is made final. While Jilani acknowledged that it may not be possible for India to tour under the current circumstances (Pakistan is forced to play at neutral venues as other teams have refused to tour the country), he said Pakistan would not benefit by touring India as all the money generated for such a high-profile series would go to the host nation or, more precisely, to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also said that playing at a neutral venue was the most logical option, considering both countries’ interests.
This was when Mathai responded, saying that the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would have to come into the picture as the Indian government cannot be involved in a money-sharing agreement. Even those these two have spoken about this topic earlier, this was the first time that it was taken into serious consideration.
A government source spoke about the situation and was quoted saying: “The Pakistani side was categorical that it is not financially viable for them to send only their cricket team to India. Security issues will be looked at, but the ball for now is in the court of BCCI and PCB and we are not stopping them.” The timeframe for such a step however, has not been confirmed.
The joint statement which was issued a few days back has not made any kind of implication towards cricket, but it does say that the two sides are looking to increase contact in sports. The government has been eyeing a reboot of the rivalry for quite some time now. India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has even invited Pakistani leaders to watch matches in India, the most recently being the semi-final of the ICC World Cup last year. The two nations however, have not played a bilateral series since 2007. |
|
