November 20, 2003	Thursday	Ramazan 24, 1424

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NEW DELHI, Nov 19: India has proposed a widely awaited cricket tour of Pakistan for February and the two teams are considering a triangular series in Europe later with Australia, Jagmohan Dalmiya, president on the Board of Control of Cricket in India, said on Tuesday.

“We are planning to visit Pakistan in February,” Dalmiya reaffirmed in an interview on state-run Doordarshan TV. He thanked the Indian government for allowing the resumption of cricket ties with Pakistan.

Dalmiya said India expected to also play a triangular one-day series with Pakistan and Australia “somewhere in Europe”.

“It could be UK, but if we don’t get permission then somewhere else in Europe,” Mr Dalmiya said.

Proposing a triangular cricket series involving Pakistan in some vague part of Europe is significant because it is a virtual criticism of Sharjah as a neutral ground for the tournament, where the teams have met before.

Indian cricket writers often describe the Sharjah crciket ground in the United Arab Emirates as hugely partial to Pakistan. India and Pakistan have played bilateral matches in other so-called neutral grounds too, including Canada. end of story.