Much to the delight of cricket loving fans of of both India and Pakistan , the Pakistan Government is believed to have given the nod to the country’s cricket team to play a series with India at a neutral venue, according to media reports on Thursday, clearing the decks for a bilateral series in Sri Lanka later this year.
According to Pakistan’s Geo TV , Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff have sent a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) permitting the cricket team to play series with India at venues in Sri Lanka that would serve as Pakistan’s ‘home venue’.
The development comes after months of diplomatic discussion, with rapidly deteriorating relations between both nations minimizing the chances of reviving cricket ties that were stopped after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
A meeting between the BCCI president Shashank Manohar, who was in Dubai in his capacity as the chief of International Cricket Council , and PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan earlier this month paved the possibility of a bilateral series, with Sri Lanka as the likely neutral venue . The meeting was organised by ECB chairman Giles Clarke, who also heads the Pakistan Task Force of the ICC.
But with a forecast of heavy showers in Sri Lanka during most of December , weather might play a spoilsport .
Both the boards have signed an agreement to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023. According to sources , it claimed the Indian board have formally agreed to play the first series in the UAE, which has served as Pakistan’s home venue since 2009 . After a lot of uncertainty, the BCCI insisted it would play only in India but the Pakistani government denied permission to its board earlier this month.
According to sources, the BCCI is looking at playing the first ODI on December 20 and the last T20 on January 3. As this is the only window available as India travel to Australia for a one-day series starting on January 12.