http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/15/spt4.htmPCB, BCCI agree to revive ODIs at neutral venuesBy Mohammad Yaqoob
LAHORE, Jan 14: India gave up its six years old policy of not meeting Pakistan at neutral venues for bilateral matches as the two cricket boards have decided to play five One-day International series at off-shore venues every year.
It was one of the five major decisions announced by the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ad hoc Chairman Shaharyar M. Khan at a press conference on Saturday.
Pawar declared that the first series was likely to be played in 2007 as it was not possible to make arrangements this year.
The Indian government had prohibited its cricket team from playing against Pakistan at neutral venues in 2000 to avoid the allegation of match-fixing which had rocked the cricket world.
India and Pakistan played in Toronto, Sharjah and Singapore in the 1990s.
Pawar explained that the series would be held in those countries where the population of South Asian people was substantially high.
“We have received some offers from United States to hold the series in New Jersey and California but we will decide the venues after reviewing all aspects,” Pawar said.
The BCCI chief said that offers were received from the local cricket organizations of those cities and hopefully they would succeed to hold it properly, if given the chance.
“The two boards took the decision and obviously they will seek government’s advice before finalizing a venue,” Pawar said.
He stressed that the bilateral series between the two countries on home and away basis now would be held after every two years instead of one year on the pattern of the Ashes series between Australia and England.
“The decision has been taken to keep the interest of the fans alive in Pakistan-India matches,” he said.
He added that the number of Test and ODIs matches would be decided later.
Pawar also disclosed that four Test playing countries of South Asia region, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, had decided to jointly bid for the World Cup-2011.
“India and Pakistan have already agreed to make a World Cup bid and now Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have also joined us,” he said.
To generate funds for the Oct 8’s earthquake affectees in Pakistan and India, Pawar said two matches would be held in Dubai or Abu Dhabi on April 18 and 19.
The 75 per cent income of the first match would be given to the affectees of Pakistan and the remaining to Indian affectees, he specified.
The entire income from the second match would be shared between the two cricket boards, he said.
Shaharyar said that though he could not predict the amount of funds to be generated from the matches, it could be ten times more if the venue was in Pakistan or India.
To strengthen relations at domestic level between the two countries, the winners of Ranji Trophy, the Indian premier domestic event will meet their Pakistan counterpart, the winners of Quaid-i-Azam Trophy every year and similarly, the under-19 champions and school’s champions would also meet each other, he said.
Shaharyar did not agree that the attendance of the cricket fans during the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and India was poor.
“Though the stadium is not full the number of fans has been increasing gradually,” he pointed out.
Reuters adds: Pakistan, India and Australia have agreed in principle to host a triangular one-day series this year in September before the ICC Champions Trophy in India.
Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said the countries had held discussions on the possibility of holding the tri-series between Sept 12 and Oct 5.
“We all agree in principle it is a viable proposal.
“The only problem is that Pakistan is hosting Zimbabwe from late September and we are still not sure if their tour will go ahead on schedule,” Shaharyar said.
India is already arranging bilateral series and other tournaments with ICC members outside the world governing body’s future tours programme.
Under the ICC future tours programme, all 10 Test-playing member nations play each other over a six-year cycle.
AuthorTopic: PCB, BCCI agree to revive ODIs at neutral venues (Read 388 times)
March 30, 2006, 03:26:04 AM