BCCI wants PCB support for Bindra's ICC job

The BCCI has promised to support its Pakistan counterpart on their jeopardised series against Australia, provided the cricket board here extends its continued support to IS Bindra's nomination for the ICC chief executive's post.

Pakistan is trying hard to convince the Australians to tour the country in March-April for a scheduled Test series but the Aussies have indicated their players are not keen on the series due to security concerns and also because of reservations over one or two of the proposed venues, including Karachi.

Some have also blamed Ricky Ponting and his teammates' reluctance to tour Pakistan to the lucrative Indian Premier League which clashes with the Pakistan-Australia series.

Well placed sources told PTI today that PCB officials Shafqat Naghmi and Subhan Ahmed had met their Indian counterparts in New Delhi few days ago to persuade them to either play a tri-series with Australia in Pakistan or to come for a bilateral one-day rubber.

"The same offer was also made to the Sri Lankan board officials today in Colombo," the source disclosed.

He said the Indians had shown no interest in the tri-series but agreed to consider touring Pakistan for a short tour sometime in April and even to pressurise Australia to tour Pakistan subject to the PCB continuing to support Bindra's nomination in the ICC.

The source said PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf, who is on the ICC scrutiny committee that has shortlisted four or five candidates for the ICC position, had been pushing for the appointment of Bindra but no other country, including Sri Lanka, have extended support for the senior BCCI official.

"Imtiaz Patel, who heads the Super Sports in South Africa is supposed to be the strongest candidate to take over from ICC CEO Malcolm Speed this year," the source said.

The source said India promised its support to Pakistan provided they back Bindra.

"The Indians have basically conveyed that they are in a position to convince the Australians to tour Pakistan if nothing else at least for a one-day series," the source said.

The source said Sri Lankan officials had told Naghmi and Subhan today they could not play the tri-series with Australia because they were already committed to hosting India and South Africa for a tri-series soon.

"PCB has now asked the Sri Lankans to play a five-match one-day series in Pakistan in case the Australians don't tour at all," the source said. The cash-strapped Sri Lankan board has asked for time to think over the offer.

The source said Cricket Australia had given feelers they would be able to convince their players to play a tri-series just before the IPL in neighbouring India at one or two venues.

"The Australians have indicated they might be able to get their players to agree to play one or two venues like Lahore and Faisalabad," the source stated.