India to play Pakistan once every two years: PCB chairman

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: September 29, 2009

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Karachi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has guaranteed that arch-rivals India and Pakistan would play a bilateral series once every two years even if it requires the series to be held at a neutral venue, said PCB chairman Ejaz Butt.

Butt, who is in Johannesburg to attend the ICC Executive Board meeting, said that Pakistan and India would play four series in the coming eight years. “The ICC has given guarantee for the series that would be organised after every two years. They have also accepted that the series could be organised at neutral venues till the time the situation improves in Pakistan.”

The PCB chairman in the report also thanked the Pakistan government for supporting the idea. “I am grateful to our government for its support. They have accepted our request to host this important series at neutral venue. Pakistan ambassador to India Shahid Malik has played very important role in this,” he told ‘The News’.

Butt also indicated that England may get the opportunity to host the first ever Pakistan-India series at a neutral venue in the coming summer. “This series has the potential of revenue generation and is one of the main attractions for the sponsors,” he said.

After initially refusing any bilateral series against Pakistan in the new Future Tours Programme that runs from 2012 to 2020, the Indian Cricket Board agreed to series against Pakistan in the revised FTP draft, according to the PCB. Pakistan had lodged a protest with the ICC and refused to accept an FTP without bilateral series with India.

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