Brace up for ‘breaking news’, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf tells cricket fans

India-Pak Test series could be a reality soon, he says on his maiden Indian visit

EXCLUSIVE

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali in New Delhi

After a one-hour meeting with his Indian counterpart on Sunday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has this to say to the subcontinent cricket fans: brace up for some “breaking news” on the bilateral series between the neighbouring countries.

Ashraf, in Chennai to watch the IPL final on a ‘rare’ BCCI invitation, said he was happy with his first meeting with BCCI president N Srinivasan, whom he called his ‘elder brother’, and said that both Boards made “a lot of pledges” on resumption of the bilateral Test series that were disbanded over four-and-a-half years ago following the Mumbai attacks in 2008.

“It was a courtesy call by Mr Srinivasan as I’m his guest. It was a one-to-one meeting. We discussed many things in brief. There were a lot of pledges [made] from both sides, [he said] that we’re planning something better; he didn’t tell me what it was. But he said that in one or two months some concrete and positive things would come out,” Ashraf told Mail Today minutes after his meeting with the BCCI president.

“I feel that if what he says and what he plans is implemented the bilateral series will really be revived. I am quite hopeful,” he said. “My feeling is that the thinking is changing [between the two countries]; the ice is melting. I think there could be breaking news in, maybe, one or two months.” 

Continuing his positive vibes, Ashraf, 59, called himself the younger brother of Srinivasan, 67. “One is the big brother, the other is younger; and we want both of us to work together for the betterment of the two nations,” he emphasised. “I’m referring to India as the big brother because it’s the bigger country. And the head of its Board will obviously be the big brother. He is elder to me in age and also lives in the larger country. Obviously, he has heavier responsibilities, and I convey all the good wishes to him.”

The two countries have not played a Test series since 2007 when Pakistan toured India, as a fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. They have, however, been playing in multi-nation one-day series at neutral venues.

“We feel that if India is reluctant to play in Pakistan, maybe we can have a ‘joint’ series in India and can share the revenue. We don’t know if the BCCI would agree to it. We can play the series in India for a year or so, before they can be confident that they can go to Pakistan and play on Pakistan’s home grounds. I wish to convey this tomorrow when we’ll meet [again] in a one-to-one meeting,” Ashraf disclosed.

BCCI inviting Ashraf seem a huge positive step considering that only last month the Srinivasan-headed Board had outrightly rejected PCB’s proposal to play its ‘home’ series (against other nations) in India, as teams have refused to tour Pakistan after the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

Within a month of snubbing the PCB, the situation seems to have changed so dramatically that the BCCI, in a first move of its kind, invited Pakistan’s national T20 champions Sialkot Stallions for the Champions League T20 to be held in India in October and then Ashraf to watch the IPL final.

“I want our relations to become so good that if we [PCB] have to choose a neutral venue for Pakistan’s home series, India should suit us the best. I wish we become so close that we do not differentiate between India and Pakistan,” Ashraf said.

The PCB president put the onus on the BCCI to take a decision. “The ball is in their court. We’re always looking forward to bring the cricketing relations back on track since they were derailed in 2007,” he said while pointing out that the security scenario in Pakistan has improved since 2009.

On his talks with Srinivasan, held over tea and coffee, Ashraf said: “The talks were on both sides [whether the series could be held in India or in Pakistan]. But it has to be worked out whether we come here first or they’ll come to us, what’ll be the venues, so many things they have to decide.”

Ashraf said that he has been told that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has played a positive role in pushing for resumption of the bilateral series.

“The Pakistani government is already supporting developing better relations with India, be on diplomatic front or on judicial front or on the cricket front, because the President of Pakistan [Asif Zardari], who is also PCB patron, on his last visit to India [last month], had a very good conversation with Mr Manmohan Singh in Delhi,” he said.

“At that meeting, he emphasised the importance of the resumption of the cricket ties and Mr Manmohan Singh very nicely and in a very candid way agreed to it, and said that he’d immediately convey this to his [cricket] Board for the resumption of the cricket series. What I’ve heard is that the Indian PM has taken keen interest for the revival of cricket between the two great nations.” 

(This story first appeared in Mail Today)