Pakistan's cricket tour of India will go ahead as scheduled next month, Indian cricket chief Ranbir Singh Mahendra said on Wednesday, ending speculation the high-profile tour could be cancelled due to a TV rights row.
Media reports said Pakistan's first Test tour of India in six years was in jeopardy due to a long-running legal battle over the awarding of television rights for cricket matches played in the country.
But Mahendra, who took over as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from Jagmohan Dalmiya last September, said there was no way the tour will be cancelled or even postponed.
"The tour will go ahead as scheduled," Mahendra told AFP.
"Yes, there has been a delay on TV rights but that is because the matter is in court. We are confident something will be worked out. As soon as we hear from the courts, we will work on a war footing."
Pakistan to arrive on Monday to play three Tests and six One-Day Internationals on their first full tour of India since 1999.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan to arrive on Monday to play three Tests and six One-Day Internationals on their first full tour of India since 1999.
{{/usCountry}}The first Test is scheduled to begin in the northern town of Mohali on March 8.
The Madras High Court is currently hearing arguments in a writ petition filed by Zee Telefilms, India's largest listed media company, after it was denied the TV rights by the BCCI last September.
The BCCI backed out of a four-year, 308-million dollar deal with Zee after it was challenged in court by rival ESPN-Star Sports, jointly owned by Disney and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.