PCB tells BCCI to use cricket to formulate peace between India-Pakistan

The Pakistan Cricket Board has written a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India inquiring about the scheduled bilateral series in December to be held in the United Arab Emirates and has also asked them to keep politics away from cricket.

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According to The Express Tribune, PCB chairman Shahryar Khan wrote in the letter that BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur should make the series possible in December.

The BCCI had signed an MOU to play Pakistan in six series between 2015 and 2023, with the first to be hosted by the PCB in the UAE in December.

However, the two boards differed over television broadcast rights and India have been reluctant to discuss the series due to some recent incidents of cross-border terrorism.

"Politics is vulnerable to highs and lows and the sport of cricket should be kept away from it," the paper quoted Shaharyar Khan as saying.

"Cricket is a tool to formulate peace between the countries."

Officials from both the boards have been doing some tough talking in the last few weeks.

While Khan had said that Pakistan can survive without playing India, Thakur had made it clear that 'bullets and cricket' can't go together.

Infact, after reports emerged that wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim was in Karachi, Thakur had tweeted: "Dawood in Karachi. NSA wants to meet separatists here. Are you really serious about peace and you
expect we'll play cricket with you?"

Pakistan and India have not played a full bilateral Test series since 2007 although Pakistan did tour India in 2012-13 to play three ODIs and two T20 matches.

Image: Virat Kohli (left) speaks to Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq.

Photograph: Getty Images