Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has granted permission to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a bilateral series against arch-rivals India, which will be played in Sri Lanka. PCB and the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had proposed the series and approached their respective governments for clearance.
Official sources in the ministry of inter-provincial coordination said that the Prime Minister gave the clearance before leaving for an official tour to Malta.
The PM has responded to the letter sent to him by the PCB chairman Shahryar Khan and he has said that Pakistan should play India in Sri Lanka for a short series given the current security situation.Source to PTI
“The PM made the point that while foreign teams are not playing in Pakistan, the security situation for Pakistanis in India is also not clear, so Sri Lanka is a good option,” the source said.
A PM House statement was also quoted in the Express Tribune which said, “Given the current security situation, PCB should hold a short series with India at a third location.” It also said the PM House had sent a letter to the PCB granting them permission for the series and directing them to carefully view the security situation. The BCCI is yet to hear from the Indian government on the series.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka emerged as a neutral venue for the planned series which is likely to have three ODIs and two T20s, tentatively scheduled between December 15 and the first week of January. Both countries have not played Test cricket since 2007 but Pakistan toured India in the winter of 2012-13 for a short limited-over series.
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