Series hangs in balance

Dubai - Speculations rife of Sri Lanka playing host to Indo-Pak cricket

Speculators have been kept on the edge as the India-Pakistan cricket series hangs in balance. All eyes were on a series of high-level meetings in Dubai but all parties involved in the talks left the UAE shores without, what seems so far, any progress.
According to sources, England and Wales Cricket Board President Giles Clarke was supposed to address media on the progress of the talks at the International Cricket Council (ICC) headquarters in Dubai but he left for London on Monday without any briefing.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shahryar Khan and PCB Executive Committee Chairman Najam Sethi also left for Pakistan on Monday while Shashank Manohar, the BCCI chief, had already departed for India on Sunday.
There have been unconfirmed reports speculating that the series could be held in Sri Lanka from December 20 to January 3. However, if that was the case, Giles, who is mediating between the two boards, could have made an announcement. Holding back any information about the progress, or otherwise, on the talks makes no sense, especially at a time when fans in India and Pakistan, and not to forget a big number of them here in the UAE, are anxiously waiting for the series between the two sub-continental neighbours.
PCB had scheduled the bilateral series with India next month in the UAE but BCCI is adamant about not playing in the emirates.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2007 as cricketing ties between the two countries hit a roadblock after the Mumbai attack in 2008.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, while emerging out of the talks at the ICC headquarters in Sports City area of Dubai, Khan had told the waiting media that the talks were fruitful but had refrained from divulging in information on the nature of the talks with his Indian counterpart.
The top PCB official, according to reports in Pakistani media, will brief a high-level Pakistani government officials as the fate of the series also depends on a green signal from the Pakistani government.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries, both the boards had agreed to play six series between 2015 and 2023, with four series to be hosted by Pakistan. All series were subject to clearance from the respective governments.
It would be interesting to know if the fruitful talks between Khan, Sethi, Giles and Manohar soured or had reached a happy conclusion.
Alas, the wait seems to be never ending.
sports@khaleejtimes.com