October 3, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 25, 1423

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LAHORE, Oct 2: Pakistan is willing to forego its chance of staging next year’s Asia Cup if India confirms its participation in the tournament.

According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release Wednesday, quoting its chairman offering to move the tournament Asia Cup from Lahore to Bangladesh if India confirmed in writing that it would take part.

Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the PCB chairman, by changing his stance appeared ready to sacrifice hosting the Asia Cup only to pave way for India to take part.

  “I have proposed to move the competition to Bangladesh but only if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)  submits its government’s approval in writing to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

“Jagmohan Dalmiya conveyed to me that he had verbal permission from New Delhi to play Pakistan in any multi-lateral tournaments on neutral venues. But I have asked for written permission before formally agreeing to shift the tournament” the PCB chief was quoted as saying.

The Asia Cup is tentatively scheduled at Lahore in September and besides the four Asian Test-playing countries, two Associate Member nations will also take part.

Indian government has banned its team from playing Pakistan  in any bilateral series because of political reasons. The two countries last played a Test series in India in 1999 while India’s last tour was as far back as 1989-90.

India, however, visited Pakistan in 1997 to play a three-match one-day series in connection with Pakistan’s golden jubilee celebrations.

Tauqir met his Indian counterpart Jagmohan Dalmiya recently at the International Cricket Council’s executive board meeting and the Asian Cricket Council moot in Colombo.

Tauqir declared that the ball was now in India’s court and Pakistan will not play in India until the Indians visit Pakistan, a point the PCB chief conveyed to the ICC and Dalmiya.

“India, according to ICC’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) is due to tour Pakistan next April/May. But I have told the ICC and BCCI that if India doesn’t come, Pakistan will not honour its commitment the following year.

“I have asked the ICC to reschedule India’s tour in 2004 in case India refuses to tour in 2003. At the same time, I have asked the ICC to alter the FTP since India has to visit Pakistan three times in six years,” the general said.

Meanwhile the ICC has rescheduled its development committee meeting which will now be held in Lahore on Oct 20 and 21.

The decision was taken by the ICC executive board in Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to PCB.

The development committee meeting was originally scheduled in Lahore for Oct 27 but was cancelled in July this year because of security concerns. Most of the top cricket board officials, including ICC chairman Malcolm Gray and chief executive Malcolm Speed are expected to attend the two-day meeting.

“It is a decision that is in the right direction and hopefully will lead foreign teams to resume tours to Pakistan,” the PCB chairman said in a statement from Sri Lanka.

“This meeting will hopefully end the fears of foreign teams who have recently relied more on their own source of information rather than trusting the words of the Pakistan government. The foreign delegates will be provided the highest protocol and best hospitality so that they can take back the positive from here,” the PCB chairman said.

He said that getting the ICC meeting back in Lahore was one of the top issues of Pakistan. He said the ICC also accepted Pakistan’s request of constituting a “safety and security commission” that will submit its report on countries that were engulfed by security problems within eight weeks.