Will take up four-nation proposal with Sourav Ganguly at Asian Cricket Council Meeting, reveals PCB President Ramiz Raja

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said that he will try to approach BCCI president Sourav Ganguly over the possibility of India and Pakistan resuming cricket ties. While the chances of bilateral ties taking place anytime soon looks bleak, Raja again brought up the concept of a four-nation tournament which he had proposed a couple of months ago.

Raja's comments probably came from his belief that T20 leagues across the world are hampering international cricket, especially bilateral and tri-series. His proposal of a four-nation tournament had drawn mixed reactions from cricket boards and their chief representatives so far, but Raja thinks that the popularity of India-Pakistan contests are such that efforts need to be made to ensure fans get to witness the mother of all battles.

'I'll talk to Ganguly regarding a four-nation tournament. The future of cricket is in triangular and four-nation competitions. Twenty20 leagues are taking away eye-balls from bilateral cricket, of which the novelty factor is decreasing," Raja said during a media interaction.

"I think it's unfair to keep fans away from India-Pakistan contests. India-Pakistan (2022 T20 World Cup) tickets were sold in one day, we don't have a political perspective on things and if a fellow cricketer is leading the BCCI, we should be approachable to each other since we don’t know politics," he added.

Raja’s concept of a four-nation tournament involving India, Pakistan, Australia and England was not taken too well by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who called it a ‘short-term commercial initiative’. However, it did invoke a positive reply from Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley. Raja will float the proposal at the ACC meeting in Dubai, on March 19, and will be seeking approval.

"We have to look at the rules but I believe that the four-nation tournament should have a separate CEO to run it and it should be held in a 15-day window every year. The idea is for each participant to take turns hosting it annually and the revenue to be shared among the cricket boards. We don't need third-party interference," Raja concluded.