BCCI seeks advice on playing against Pakistan: PCB
Bangladesh to host Asia Cup despite security jitters
ISLAMABAD, Oct 29, (Agencies): The Board of Control for Cricket in India has told Pakistan’s board that it will seek government permission on whether December’s scheduled series between the two countries can proceed as planned.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said Thursday that chairman Shaharyar Khan received a letter from BCCI president Shashank Manohar saying it has approached the Indian government to get “definitive guidance” on the series in the United Arab Emirates.
Members of the radical Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena, opposed to relationships with Pakistan, stormed the BCCI office in Mumbai last week, forcing the cancellation of a meeting between the two board chiefs.
“Mr. Manohar has expressed his sincere regrets for the cancellation of the meeting,” the PCB said in a statement. “Under pressure from extremist elements, BCCI canceled its meeting.”
Last year, the two countries signed an agreement to play six series in between 2015 and 2023, with Pakistan as nominal hosts four times.
“It has also been conveyed (to the PCB) that the BCCI has officially approached the Indian government to obtain definitive guidance on the Pakistan-India series,” the PCB said.
The PCB has already said that it had a backup plan in case India refused to play against Pakistan in December, but it still hopes BCCI will fulfill its commitment.
“The PCB maintains that sports and politics should not be mixed and hopes that the BCCI will not be held hostage by extremist elements who wish to sabotage bilateral cricket relations,” the PCB said.
Bangladesh will host the Asia Cup cricket for the third time running in February and March despite recent security fears which prompted Australia to cancel a tour, the national cricket chief said.
At a meeting in Singapore this week, the Asian Cricket Council decided Bangladesh will hold the tournament, to be played in the Twenty20 format for the
first time, just before the ICC World T20 in neighbouring India.
“Pakistan proposed that Bangladesh should host next year’s Asia Cup and everyone agreed,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan told reporters late Wednesday.
Featuring five Asian countries, the tournament will be played from February
24 to March 6, with the World T20 running from March to April.
Test nations Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will get direct entry. Afghanistan, Oman, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates will play a qualifying tournament in November in the UAE for the fifth place.
Bangladesh also hosted the tournament in
2012 and 2014, along with 2000 and 1988.
Cricket Australia recorded a net surplus of $99 million in the last financial year following the co-hosting of the 2015 World Cup with New Zealand, the board said after its annual general meeting on Thursday.
Revenue increased to $380.9 million from $295.9 million after its share of the net profit from the 50-overs tournament in February-March.
“Last summer was billed as the biggest ever in the history of Australian cricket and it lived up to that promise,” CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said in a statement.
“The World Cup was easily the biggest sporting event this country has seen since the Sydney Olympics and has left a positive legacy for cricket in Australia, particularly in its ability to unite people of many cultural backgrounds in their passion for the game.”
The discontinuation of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, which was run since 2009 by the cricket boards of India, Australia and South Africa, this year also boosted the board’s coffers.
Legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne Thursday worked with Yasir Shah in the nets, saying he gave the Pakistani slow bowler advice on tactics to help down England in this week’s third Test.