India vs Pakistan in December: Tough but don't rule it out yet

CRICKETNEXT STAFF | NOV 21, 2015 AT 06:15 PM IST

Image Credit: Getty Images.

After making a strong statement by starting clean-up in the Indian cricket board, the newly-elected president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shashank Manohar, faces a tricky situation in relation to India's proposed bilateral series with Pakistan next month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shahryar Khan has made it clear that Pakistan will not tour India to play the bilateral series scheduled in December, and India have reiterated that they aren't comfortable with the idea of Pakistan hosting India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the standoff continues, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two boards may leave the Manohar-led BCCI with no choice but to honour the commitment.

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The previous BCCI administration, led by N Srinivasan, had signed an MoU with the PCB to play six bilateral series under the 2015-2023 Future Tours Programme (FTP). Though it was something inked by an ousted administration, it's the BCCI who had committed, not any individual, which leaves Manohar facing a tough call.

PCB’s stand on playing their arch-rivals has been consistent and they have said that they will host India in the UAE, which is a neutral venue, but won't travel to India as the BCCI urges because they don't want to send their team to the UAE.

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UAE has been hosting Pakistan’s home games since the terrorist-attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.

The ball is now in BCCI’s court and if they don’t want to go and play in the UAE and still want a series with Pakistan in December, then they will have to make their counterparts an offer they can’t refuse.

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To that effect, Rajeev Shukla came out with an interesting offer wherein he confirmed that the BCCI is willing to compensate PCB for the losses it would incur by not having a 'home' series with India. A response to that is yet to come out from the PCB office.

PCB's argument that why should they play their ‘home' series in India makes sense but considering Manohar's stance to clean the image of Indian cricket, it's difficult to see him take a chance by travelling to a land where the fixing mess started in 1999-2000. But then there's the MoU signed by the Srinivasan regime.

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India had also travelled to the UAE for the opening leg of the Indian Premier League last year, but Manohar was not at the helm then, and it's a lot different in the BCCI with him calling all the shots.

While the BCCI has time and again said that the decision to play Pakistan depends on the Indian government, there has been no official statement given by the government so far. There have only been sketchy reports about some BCCI administrators meeting government officials, but nothing beyond that.

Broadcast rights for the series is another Achilles heel for the series. PCB has a five-year deal with Ten Sports that includes two home series with India while Star is the official broadcaster for BCCI and they won’t allow Ten Sports to broadcast the series.

So if not the UAE, is the BCCI open to other options?

Rumour mills are in overdrive mode on that question, with some sources also suggesting that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have unofficially been approached to check if they are ready to host the high-octane series.

It seems both the boards are willing to go the distance and explore every option to make it happen. So don't be surprised to see the series going ahead at the end of this dramatic affair.