Disappointed with BCCI, not optimistic about India-Pak series: PCB chief

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said on Tuesday he was disappointed with the Indian cricket board for not taking initiative over talks of a cricket series between the two nations after a meeting between the two boards was cancelled following Shiv Sena protests in Mumbai.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said on Tuesday he was disappointed with the Indian cricket board for not taking initiative over talks of a cricket series between the two nations after a meeting between the two boards was cancelled following Shiv Sena protests in Mumbai.

PCB chief Shahryar Khan(AFP File Photo)

“I am not optimistic about the December series with India; I am disappointed with the BCCI… There has been no direct communication from them,” Khan told reporters on Tuesday. “I am going home,” he said.

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Khan said Pakistan would play in the World T20 tournament and that there was no question of a boycott by the team.

Read: 10 Shiv Sena activists arrested after anti-Pak protest at BCCI office

On Tuesday, Khan met Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla in New Delhi, a day after his meeting with his BCCI counterpart Shashank Manohar was disrupted by Shiv Sena activists in Mumbai.

The much-anticipated meeting between Indian and Pakistan cricket board officials was cancelled soon after about 70 Shiv Sena workers stormed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai office.

India have not played a full bilateral Test series with Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

“Nearly 48 hours have passed and there has not been a word from BCCI. No further meetings now. I am not going to make an effort to (meet BCCI),” Khan said on Tuesday evening.

“I Mr Shukla and others and they shared their personal opinions, important opinions, but there has been no official meeting with the BCCI. I had come here for a meeting with the BCCI,” Khan said. “I asked them if we could meet in the hotel but they said the security situation would not allow the meet,” he said.

The PCB chief also said it was disappointing that Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar would return from India before the final ODI between India and South Africa in Mumbai. Pakistani pace greats Akhtar and Akram have pulled out over security concerns and will fly back to their country on Friday. Akram’s agent Arsalan Haider confirmed that the pair would commentate in the fourth ODI here and return on October 23, two days before the Mumbai ODI.

The development came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) was forced to withdraw Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from the remaining two matches in the ongoing five-match ODI series.

Dar’s withdrawal came after the Shiv Sena activists stormed the BCCI.