ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday allowed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play a cricket series against India in Sri Lanka, in response to an official request of PCB chief Sheharyar Khan.
The permission has been granted after security clearance from federal interior ministry and foreign office.
However the premier has instructed the cricket board to shorten the tour to T20 and ODI games only.
The arch-rivals India and Pakistan are now likely to play cricket series, which was previously scheduled in United Arab Emirates, in neutral venue Sri Lanka from December 20 to January 3.
Earlier this week the PCB had sought permission for a proposed Pak-India series in Sri Lanka, following a meeting of PCB chief Sheharyar Khan, BCCI head Shashank Manohar and ECB’s Joyles Clarke.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, PCB chairman Shahryar Khan said that they had written a letter to the prime minister and informed him about the development on the matter.
“I hope we get a reply soon, which will make it easy to resolve other issues,” he added.
Meanwhile Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also written a letter to the Indian government to seek its permission to play the much talked Pak-India cricket series in Sri Lanka.
According to Indian media reports, the BCCI has written a letter to the government in which it sought its permission to hold the cricket series on neutral venue in Sri Lanka.
Unconfirmed media reports suggest that Indian government is also expected to okay the series in Sri Lanka.
