LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan on Thursday said that PCB will pursue legal action against the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for refusing to play a scheduled bilateral series between the two countries.
While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Khan recalled that India had refused to play a series in Pakistan in 2014, which cost the PCB around a million dollars.
“First we will send a legal notice to Indian cricket board. Then we will dispute the case in the International Cricket Council,” the PCB chairman said.
If the issue is not resolved at ICC, Khan said that PCB will pursue the case in the court.
“Our case is solid,” the cricket board chairman said, adding he has reason to believe India does not want to play with Pakistan anytime soon.
Khan said that citing political rift between the two neighbouring countries is not reason enough for refusing to play, adding that Pakistan and India have played cricket despite tensions between the two.
“It isn’t necessary to [cancel] cricket because of a prevailing political situation. However, looking at the attitude of [Indian Prime Minister] Modi, it seems unlikely that India wants to play [with Pakistan],” he said.
Cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are currently stalled, given the political tensions between the two countries.
The men’s teams have not played a bilateral series against each other since December-January 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India, but have met in various multi-team tournaments since then, including the World Cup, World T20, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup.