Agreeing to ICC FTP depends on bilateral series with India, clears PCB
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The PCB has stated that it will oppose the upcoming international cricket schedules if it doesn't include bilateral series with India. PCB also went on to state that it has taken up the matter with ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee, and its decisions will be based on the outcome of the hearing.
Yesterday, the BCCI has revealed that India will host 81 games, across all formats, in their next playing cycle between 2019 and 2023, but that doesn’t have any matches with neighbours Pakistan, which seems to have irked the Pakistan Board.Â
“PCB wishes to clarify some reports in the media regarding the ongoing meetings on the new proposed ICC International Cricket Structures and the effect of these on the ICC Future Tours Programme with specific reference to Pakistan v India Series,” said a PCB release, reported PTI.
“Since the onset of these discussions, PCB has reiterated its position on bilateral series vs India. Our position is that PCB’s agreement to the revised structures for international cricket is subject to the condition that PCB has a valid agreement to play bilateral matches with India, and India vs Pakistan matches would be included in the FTP. This continues to be our position.” Â
Earlier, last month, the ICC had revealed that the PCB has sought a compensation of $70 million from the BCCI for not honouring the bilateral series MoU that was signed back in 2014 when N Srinivasan was the president, under which they were due to play six bilateral series between 2014 and 2023. However, earlier this year, the PCB had issued a legal notice to the BCCI for the same, but the latter snubbed the agreement as "a piece of paper".
Yesterday’s PCB release also reiterated the same and added, "PCB has also informed the ICC that it has initiated a dispute resolution process against the BCCI under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee Terms of Reference. Further to that, the PCB's claim is based on an existing agreement with the BCCI which contemplates that India will tour Pakistan in December 2019, August 2020 and Nov - Dec 2022 and Pakistan will tour India in Nov - Dec 2021.
"Under the prevailing circumstances, it is PCB's position that if the Dispute Resolution Committee decides the dispute in PCB's favour, then any FTP will need to be adjusted to reflect the decision. Any agreement of the PCB to any new FTP structure will, therefore, be without prejudice to its existing claims against BCCI and will be subject to the outcome of the ICC dispute resolution process.”
While PCB has always been open about the bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India and the need for the BCCI to honour it, the Indian board have made it clear that the government will have the final say in any cricket between the two sides outside of ICC events and yesterday, BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary just reiterated the same.
"It is something which...it is a question which is embedded not in the matrix of cricket alone. That is publicly recognised. Unless you put together all factors that determine an event, it is futile attempting to answer that question," Choudhary said yesterday.
