Pakistan Cricket Board Sets Deadline For Board of Control For Cricket in India's Response on Bilateral Series
The Pakistan Cricket Board said it will wait till Monday (December 7) for a response from the Board of Control for Cricket in India on the proposed bi-lateral series. If there is no reply, then PCB would shelve the series
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have kept Monday as the final deadline for getting confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the bilateral series planned in Sri Lanka, later this month. (Sri Lanka Could be Possible 'Neutral' Venue for India-Pakistan Bilateral Series)
A well-placed source said the PCB was clear that if the BCCI didn't get back with a clearance for the series from the Indian government by Monday, there would be no more negotiations. (World Cricket Loses Nothing if India, Pakistan Don't Play a Bilateral Series: Sunil Gavaskar)
"There is little time left to organise the series and if India does not respond by Monday this series is over," the source told PTI.
He said the PCB was also not very optimistic about the Indian government giving clearance for the series. "They just feel that the time has almost run out for having the series in Sri Lanka even from around mid December," he said.
"There is lot of logistics involved in hosting the series in a third country which also has lot of tourism, especially with December being a Christmas and new year holiday season month," he noted.
Another problem that is causing concerns to the PCB is that due to shortage of time they will have to work round the clock to confirm title and other sponsors for the series.
The source said the board had however dropped any plans to host a pentangular T20 event in December to fill in the gap if the India series didn't take place.
"It has now been decided that the series against India doesn't take place than the selectors and team management will organise a national training camp over two to three weeks and carry out complete fitness tests of all players before the tour to New Zealand in late January," he said.
The source further confirmed that if India didn't play this time, the PCB in consultation with the England and Wales cricket board will try to organise some Indo-Pak matches in England next summer before the Pakistan and England series.