Pakistan ready to play in India next year: on condition

Pakistan are willing to play in India next year if their arch rivals host the International Cricket Council (ICC) knockout tournament, provided India first play in Pakistan.

"If India promises to play Pakistan in this year's Asian test championships, we would be delighted to cross borders for the ICC knockout tournament," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia said on Wednesday.

"We will support India as the ICC knockout tournament venue in the Lord's meeting (on June 15)."

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are involved in the Asian test championships, which are due between September and February.

Pakistan played India in Calcutta for the tournament's inaugural fixture in 1999 and the two teams are due to meet again later this year for a preliminary round match in Karachi.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief A.C. Muthiah, in the Pakistani city of Lahore for an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting on Friday, said India wanted to host the ICC tournament.

"We want to host the competition and feel that we have the best infrastructure to stage the tournament of such a magnitude," he told Reuters.

Muthiah added: "The ICC also wants us to stage the competition. But the tournament will be officially allocated to us on June 15 at Lord's."

GIVEN CLEARANCE
Muthiah said his board had also been given clearance by the government to tour Pakistan later this year and also for the six-nation Asia Cup one-day tournament in September 2002.

Sporting relations between India and Pakistan remain strained because of political tension over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Pakistan last November threatened to break all cricketing relations with India after India cancelled a tour to Pakistan scheduled for early 2001.

The cancellation of the series meant a $15 million loss to the PCB.

India then skipped a one-day triangular tournament in Sharjah, a move which angered Pakistan's cricket authorities who have said they would boycott the Indian team in future.

The BCCI had also threatened to boycott major tournaments, including the World Cup, until New Delhi clarified its policy on who and where India could play.

But the BCCI said last week it had withdrawn the threat after receiving a government letter which said restrictions were only for events involving just India and Pakistan, and not for tournaments also involving other teams.

"The government has clearly said for a multilateral tournament it has no objection at all," Muthiah said.

Mail Cricket Editor