Indo-Pak cricket chiefs take fresh guard at Dubai

With the political establishment in both countries making the right noises on the need to tone down rhetoric and move towards initiating a dialogue, the meeting between the two influential cricket officials is widely believed to come out with some concrete proposal to break the ice on the three-year long stalemate on Indo-Pak cricket matches.

The two teams recently met in a memorable World Cup match in South Africa but in keeping with its policy, India called off its scheduled tour to Pakistan immediately after that.

In retaliatory action, Pakistan said it too would not travel to India for a scheduled tour next year and also pulled out of the Asia Cup one-day international tournament to be played later this year.

However, both the cricket boards are very keen to resume playing and Dalmiya and Zia will use the occasion to find a way to break the current impasse.

As a first step towards normalisation, playing at neutral venues is one proposal that the two boards are hopeful their respective governments will agree to.

Zia has already said that Pakistan would agree to play at neutral venues if India was so willing.

The Indian board is also considering putting a request to the government to allow its team to play Pakistan at neutral venues.

A day after BCCI’s meeting in New Delhi on Monday, senior board official and Member of Parliament Rajiv Shukla had said that he would soon meet the Prime Minister with this request.

However, Shukla is yet to receive a formal authorisation from the Board in this regard.

Apart from the Indo-Pak cricket ties, which is hogging all the limelight, the Asian Cricket Foundation meeting is set to discuss many important issues, including the organisation of the next Asia Cup.

Matters relating to the development of the game in the region will also come up for discussion.

Besides, Dalmiya and Tauqir Zia, the meeting is to be attended by Mohammad Ali Asghar, President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Ehsan Mani, president designate of the International Cricket Council, and Zakir Hussain Syed, ACC development manager.

Abdulrehman Bukhatir, president of Emirates Cricket Board, and the chief of Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka are also expected to attend. (PTI)