Dubai: Sri Lanka has emerged as a possible venue for the proposed bilateral series between arch rivals India and Pakistan in December. England Cricket Board (ECB) president Giles Clarke, who acted as a mediator during the two-hour meeting of the heads of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Dubai, was expected to make a statement on the outcome but a formal announcement will be subject to clearance by leaders of both countries.
Shahryar Khan, the PCB chairman, was scheduled to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday to brief him. Sharif was preoccupied and Khan, quizzed on the matter by the media, said: “I could not meet the prime minister as he was very occupied with various things, so I will communicate to him in writing all that transpired at the meeting.”
Though it is understood that Sri Lanka has emerged as a compromise venue, Shashank Manohar, the president of the BCCI can give the final nod only after permission from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The decisions were supposed to be communicated to Modi through Arun Jaitley, India’s Minister for Finance and former vice-president of the BCCI, but Modi was preoccupied with meetings as part of his Singapore tour.
The moment both prime ministers are on the same page, the PCB is expected to make an official release.
The news about Sri Lanka being considered as an alternative venue emerged after some Sri Lankan officials revealed that two venues in Khettarama and Pallekele had been asked to be kept ready for the series.
The series will have to be held after December 7 when South Africa will conclude their tour of India and before the Indian team fly out to Australia for a limited-overs series from January 12. Incidentally, the UAE was not considered as a venue due to objections from the Indian board, whose president Manohar categorically stated that Team India will not play here.
The only risk about playing in Sri Lanka is the weather factor. It rained heavily in most parts of Sri Lanka this month and, if the monsoon does not subside, almost all the matches could end up being washouts. The decision to play the series in Sri Lanka will be disappointing for Indian as well as Pakistan fans since supporters of both teams could have had a chance to watch the series if it were held in UAE.
