Cricket: India-Pakistan Series in Sri Lanka called off

Shahryar Khan, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, has stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declined to play the series against Pakistan.

He also added that Pakistan will reconsider their decision to play in the ICC World T20 2016, set to be played by in India, after discussing with the Pakistan government. 

PCB is set to lose USD 50 million, as per the board chief.

It was expected that Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister’s meeting with Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister in Islamabad on Wednesday (9) would pave way to the resumption of cricket ties between the neighboring countries. 

However, even as there were progressive talks about improving relations, there was no discussion on cricket.

Last year, the BCCI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan of playing a series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or a mutually-agreed country in December 2015. 

The MoU was signed during the reign of N Srinivasan, the former BCCI president, in order to earn PCB’s vote in his bid for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chairmanship. 

The new regime, which has violated that MoU, might have to pay a hefty fine/face legal action.

“We hoped the situation would improve but we’ve now run out of time. We will now examine our legal position,” the PCB chairman had said according to reports.