Whenever it is our home series we get this feeling India has avoided playing us since 2007 and we have incurred big losses. We even went to India in 2012-13 without taking any big money as a goodwill gesture: PCB
Definitely I think it is a huge loss to cricket if Pakistan and India don't play against each other because I think an Indo-Pak series is a real spectacle in the sport. The situation is most unfortunate: ICC
With the Pakistan Cricket Board indicating that it may raise the issue of India not agreeing on a bilateral series in the United Arab Emirates with the International Cricket Council, the cricket world body's president Zaheer Abbas on Monday made it clear that they cannot be compelled to play against each other.
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"Since the matter is a bilateral one between two boards the ICC can only talk to them but not compel them to play against each other bilaterally," Zaheer told the media in Lahore.
Last week, Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur had said that there will be no revival of cricketing relations between the two countries unless outstanding political and diplomatic
issues are resolved.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had also admitted that chances of the bilateral series between Pakistan and India in December taking place are now very slim.
A well-informed official told PTI that Shaharyar is very disappointed after the cancellation of the talks between the national security advisors of the two countries.
"He was also disappointed with the statement that followed from the Indian cricket board secretary Anurag Thakur regarding playing cricket with Pakistan," the official said.
The source said that Shaharyar had dropped his plans to visit India for talks with BCCI and government officials to convince them to have the series in December in the UAE.
"He is not going to India but the PCB will this week write to the BCCI a strong letter asking them to honour the MoU signed between the two boards and give a clear answer on the series," the source added.
The source said that if India didn't honour the MoU the PCB would try to raise the issue at the ICC executive board level since the December series was their home series.
"Whenever it is our home series we get this feeling India has avoided playing us since 2007 and we have incurred big losses. We even went to India in 2012-13 without taking any big money as a goodwill gesture. But now it is not just about cricket but also finances," he said.
Shaharyar told a local newspaper that the situation looks very bad after the cancellation of the talks but he would still keep trying as there was some time left before the planned series.
"We will keep on trying because the series is important for us in many ways including financially and we did sign a proper MoU with the Indian board for six series," he noted.
Former Test captain Zaheer, who was Pakistan's nominee for the honorary ICC president's post, said that he would love to see the two nations play against each other but ICC can do little about it.
"But frankly speaking the ICC can't do anything in this regard. The two boards have to resolve the issues themselves.
"Definitely I think it is a huge loss to cricket if Pakistan and India don't play against each other because I think an Indo-Pak series is a real spectacle in the sport. The situation is most unfortunate," Zaheer said.
The former Test skipper who featured in several encounters against India said that one should not give up hope on a bilateral series.
He made it clear that in present circumstances it is difficult for teams to tour Pakistan and it would take time before other teams gained confidence to come to the country.
