BCCI, PCB to Meet in Dubai Over India-Pak Bilateral Series: Report

Due to cross-border tension, India refused to play the proposed series in 2015.

Virat Kohli celebrates a fifty during the ICC World Cup match against Pakistan. (Photo: AP)

Less than a week before India and Pakistan face off in a high-octane ICC Champions Trophy clash at Edgbaston on 4 June, the respective cricket boards – BCCI and PCB – will meet in Dubai on 29 May to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.

Political tensions between the two estranged neighbours resulted in the Indian government's refusal to allow the team to play the proposed series in 2015 and look set to give it a miss in 2017 too.

Earlier this month, the PCB had sent a notice of dispute to the Indian board, claiming losses for the BCCI's refusal to tour in 2015. According to a report by espncricinfo, BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary will represent the Indian side in the meeting with PCB's Chairman Shaharyar Khan and/or the Pakistan board's legal representatives.

"We still remain committed to playing, but the position doesn't change: The series cannot go ahead without the permission of Government of India. After PCB wrote to us, we have written to the Government of India again, and are awaiting the response. I believe the dialogue should go on, which is why we are meeting," Choudhary said.

India, however, continued to play the Pakistanis in International Cricket Council (ICC) events, most recently being the World T20 match in Kolkata last year.