Asia Cup dates rule out Pakistan, India series

Posted about 98 days ago | 0 comment

Lahore, Asian Cricket Council confirmed Asia Cup 2012 will go ahead as scheduled from March 12 to 22 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, all but ruling out possibility of Pakistan touring India as outlined in ICC Future Tours Program.

The decision taken at ACC’s meeting this week in Singapore also endorsed, pending a fuller discussion and satisfaction with security and other issues, a proposal by Pakistan to host the 2014 tournament. “It was agreed that Asia Cup 2012 would go ahead on proposed dates,” Subhan Ahmed, Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer, told ESPNcricinfo.

“There was discussion of ACC postponing the Asia Cup if both India and Pakistan agreed to play their series within that slot but that idea has faded out for many reasons.” PCB was hoping at meeting to get some confirmation from Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI on resumption of bilateral series between India and Pakistan but Ahmed said BCCI representative Ratnakar Shetty was unable to give any assurance in absence of N Srinivasan BCCI President.

“Pakistan- India series was not on agenda at ACC meeting but we were looking forward to Srinivasan coming across to discuss it,” Ahmed said. “We had ideal platform here to talk with our India counterpart but he [Srinivasan] didn’t attend meeting. He [Shetty] was not in a position to talk on it. So I don’t think India and Pakistan could play each other in a full series next year but they will meet in Asia Cup.”

At ACC meeting, Pakistan also proposed hosting 2014 Asia Cup. Ahmed said other ACC members showed support and understood how essential hosting of event was for the country but asked PCB to satisfy them on security concerns. “Our request has been endorsed and was not turned down. They want a full discussion on precautionary steps that PCB will take to ensure security. We obviously assured them the best and case has been deferred until next meeting.”