Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan said on Sunday India should fulfill its promises for ‘rewarding’ Pakistan over support to ‘Big Three’ introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last year which handed over the control of world cricket to India, England and Australia.
Shahryar Khan said that Pakistan had its own reasons for supporting the ‘Big Three’ format but one of them was that it would eventually result in restoration of bilateral ties with India. “It is true that we agreed to the ‘Big Three’ system after the Indian cricket board promised us it would renew cricketing ties with us and they eventually also signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with us to play six series between 2015 and 2023,” said Shahryar, Express Tribune quoted the Press Trust of India.
“We want the BCCI to honour its commitment made to us through the MOU and I am still optimistic the series could happen eventually,” he said.
Under the MOU, the first series between the two countries is to be hosted by Pakistan in UAE in December this year. The plan is for the two countries to play two tests, five ODIs and a T20.
So far, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has maintained an uncertain stance regarding the fate of the series as they refuse to confirm it, insisting they require government clearance to do so.
India has avoided playing Pakistan in a full bilateral series for the past eight years with 2007 being the last time the two sides played a Test match.
The PCB has already sent a letter to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur this week asking him to confirm the series as soon as possible as time.
Further, Shahryar said, “Politics is vulnerable to highs and lows and the sport of cricket should be kept away from it.”
“Cricket is a tool to formulate peace between the countries,” he added.
