ICC keeps Indiapak series out

WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP The archrivals won’t clash in the first cycle

KOLKATA: India will not play Pakistan in the first cycle of the world Test championship beginning in 2019, David Richardson, CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday.

“With the case of India and Pakistan, we have been a little bit pragmatic. It has been decided that they will not play each other in the first two-year cycle,” said Richardson at a media conference after a series of ICC meetings that began here on Sunday ended.

The BCCI was opposed to the world Test championship, and the world body’s plan for a twotier format, but finally came around before the ICC Board meeting at Wellington last October when the initial announcement was made.

However, a senior BCCI official said ahead of the Future Tours Meeting in Singapore last December that the board would push to avoid playing Pakistan. ICC’S announcement confirms that.

The world Test league will comprise three-test series between teams but it won’t be all play all, said Richardson. It has been decided that each team will play six others home-and-away. India too will play six countries in the nine-team competition, but Pakistan won’t be one of them.

“It was difficult in the case of the Tests league in particular. While you have a situation of teams wanting to play five-test series, trying to fit everyone playing everyone in a two-year period is not easy. Consideration was given to extending it to three years but maintaining interest then becomes difficult,” said Richardson. It’s been a roller coaster ride in the last one and half years. I have seen ups and downs in life. Life has come a full circle for me. I am mentally in a better space in the last one year. Things are going in the right direction. I am aiming to keep the momentum going and convert every good start into a better knock.

“The devil, as they say, lies in the details and there were fears as to which fixtures would comprise the competition. All those fears have been put to rest. The fixtures will be out soon,” he said.

Bilateral series between India and Pakistan have been put on hold because of relations between the countries; something Richardson said was out of ICC’S area of influence. His comment sounded similar to what Fifa president Gianni Infantino had said here last October after chairing a council meeting while commenting on the Israel-palestine situation.

“Football cannot solve it. It is a situation of exceptional complexity and cannot be ignored, but it cannot be changed by a non-governmental body,” Infantino had said while explaining why Fifa was against imposing sanctions on football associations of either country.

Pakistan has taken the matter of not playing India in bilateral matches to the dispute resolution committee of the ICC, claiming a breach in contract. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has claimed $70m in damages from India. It is something the BCCI is contending.

“I think there is certainly a common desire…. it would be great if India and Pakistan play each other apart from ICC events and specifically in bilateral series but, unfortunately it is an issue that is beyond our area of influence. Even the BCCI, I am sure, cannot simply decide themselves whether a series should be played and similarly in Pakistan. So, it is more complicated than that. We will not let up in our efforts but it is going to take a lot more than two boards agreeing,” said Richardson.

While you have teams wanting to play five Test series, trying to fit everyone playing everyone in a twoyear period is not that easy. It would be great if India and Pakistan play each other but, unfortunately it is an issue that is beyond our area of influence.

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