PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan says there has been no communication from BCCI regarding the bilateral series

There were speculations recently that India could play a bilateral against Pakistan later this year in Dubai and that the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) was seeking permissions from the Indian Government for the same. But the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shahryar Khan has rubbished any such speculations and said that no one from BCCI has contacted him for the holding of any series.

He went on to say that BCCI is perhaps afraid of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and hence they want to play against Pakistan. “I got to know about this development through Indian media. Last year the ICC had deducted points of Indian women cricket team for not playing series against Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying to the Dawn.

Both countries were scheduled to play six series between 2015 and 2023 as per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the PCB and BCCI after a clearance from the Indian Government. The bilateral ties between the two nations have been put to rest following tensions due to the terror attacks in India. The Government of India did not give clearance to play any bilateral series against the neighbouring country.

India had last toured Pakistan in 2005-06 and since then, have cancelled every visit to that country. The two teams face off against each other only in the ICC events nowadays. Although, Pakistan did tour India in 2012 for 3 ODIs and 2 T20s, but Test cricket has been missing for over a decade between the two nations.

The fans would certainly want to see the two arch rivals going head to head but a BCCI source also revealed that there were no talks with the Government about the bilateral series.

The two teams will lock horns next in the ICC Champions Trophy in the group stage match on the 4th of June later this year in Edgbaston.