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'Australia postponing Ban tour poses danger for world cricket'

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Press Trust of India Karachi
Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan sees a grave danger to world cricket after the manner in which Cricket Australia decided to postpone their tour to Bangladesh for an indefinite period.

Khan, who returned to Lahore after a tour to India, said that Pakistan would be raising the issue of scheduled bilateral tours/series between member countries at the next International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai next week.

"I am still going through the papers for the ICC meeting but from what I have seen the way Australia decided to not tour Bangladesh poses a real danger to world cricket," he told the "Jang" newspaper.
 

Khan, a former career diplomat, confirmed that Pakistan would raise the issue of scheduled bilateral tours and series between member countries as Pakistan had suffered because of this in the past.

"In the past Pakistan has suffered also because of tours being called off late on security grounds. And we don't want this injustice happening to anyone else," he said referring to the Bangladesh tour issue.

The PCB chief said that for last few years there was a clear lack of unity among the cricket boards in ICC from Asia.

"I think now is the time for cricket boards in Asia to be more united and convey their importance in world cricket to the other countries," he added.

Khan, who went to India especially to condole with the family of the late Indian cricket strongman Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata, also ruled out speculations about Pakistan agreeing to play a short series against India in December.

"I never made any offer to the Indians to play a short series while I was there. We want to play the full series as planned in the MOU between the two boards," he said.

The PCB chief said he would meet with the new President of the Indian board Shashank Manohar on the sidelines of the ICC meeting in Dubai.

"I will remind him that the Indian board has signed a proper MOU with us and why are they reluctant to honour the series now. We also want a clear yes or no because we don't have much time left now to begin preparations," he stated.

He said that the PCB was working on a plan B if India didn't play the series and said one could not rule out the possibility of having the Pakistan Super League in December.

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First Published: Oct 05 2015 | 9:13 PM IST

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