PCB chief to pursue ‘confidence-building measures’ in meeting with BCCI’s Jay Shah

Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) interim management committee, is set to meet Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah later today (Tuesday) to pursue “confidence-building measures”.

The PCB chief will explore the possibility of bilateral cricket resuming between Pakistan and India on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Durban, South Africa.

“Today, hopefully [I] will have a meeting with Jay Shah to discuss relations between both boards and build confidence-building measures for both countries to play in both countries and develop relations in cricket,” Ashraf told on Tuesday.

“We will discuss issues that come up from both sides,” he added.

The two countries last played a bilateral series in 2012. Since then, the two sides have played against each other only in multi-lateral tournaments.

An exception was in 2016 when Pakistan travelled to India to feature in the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan have to travel to India for the 50-over World Cup this year but it is yet to be confirmed if they will.

The ball is in the government’s court and under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif it has constituted an 11-member committee — headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto — which will contemplate the pros and cons of the national side travelling across the border to feature in the showpiece.

One of the members of the committee is the Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Ehsanur Rehman Mazari, who has voiced his “personal opinion” against Pakistan’s travel to India.

Mazari, in an interview with the Indian Express on Sunday, said India should come to Pakistan first to play in the preceding Asia Cup and that only then the Pakistan side should play the World Cup.

However, a “hybrid model” has already been agreed between the PCB, the BCCI and other Asian Cricket Council (ACC) members during the tenure of former interim management committee chairman Najam Sethi.

The model would allow Pakistan — Asia Cup’s original host — to stage four matches at home before it moves to Sri Lanka to facilitate India’s participation.

Ashraf, who took charge as the PCB’s interim management committee chairman last week, said the board will honour the commitment with the ACC and its members and go ahead with the “hybrid model”.

“Although we don’t support the hybrid model, we will go along with what the PCB’s past management had taken the decision with ACC,” he said.

About the fate of Pakistan’s World Cup participation, Ashraf said: “The prime minister has formed the committee to decide on venues and if adequate security arrangements are there as per the Government of Pakistan. They will decide on both matters.”