Pakistan-India cricket series: hopes still alive

Hopes for the Pakistan-India cricket series are still alive as the Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday announced that they would wait for another day or two for their counterpart's Indian announcement. The board earlier wrote a letter to Indian cricket officials, saying Pakistan would consider the series matter was over, "if India does not adopt a clear stance till Monday".
But board Chairman Shaharyar Khan told the media on Monday that there was information that the Indian Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, who is due in Islamabad on Tuesday (today), would be the final say on the matter. "We will wait for another day or two to get a final response from the Board of Control for Cricket India about the proposed series in Sri Lanka. Too much time has been wasted. We will have to face logistic problems if two boards get a green signal from their respective governments," the chairman said.
He also said his board was hoping to hear from Minister Swaraj, who is visiting Pakistan to participate in the "Heart of Asia Conference on Afghanistan", to be held between December 8 and 10 in the capital. When asked about a final decision, the board chairman said he met the Indian high commissioner who had no sufficient information about the matter, though there was still the Indian minister to discuss it.
"If the series is announced, we will provide complete logistic support," he said, adding, "People from Pakistan and India will go to Sri Lanka for the series. We will request Sri Lanka to ease visa conditions for the tour," he added. In response to a question on pacer Muhammad Aamir's return to international cricket, the board chairman said, "We are focusing on Aamir, who is required to show more maturity about his attitude."
But he did say his board had prepared a programme on rehabilitation of players, such as the pacer himself. "We will not include Aamir for our proposed series against India," he made it clear. Asked if there was any other future match proposal, he said there had not been any proposal yet other than one-day or Twenty20 matches under the consideration.