January 14, 2006	Saturday	Zilhaj 13, 1426

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LAHORE, Jan 13: President Pervez Musharraf has shown keen interest in the ongoing series between Pakistan and India, says Sharad Pawar, the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The BCCI president called on the president, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in Islamabad on Friday. He was accompanied by PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan.

After meeting the president, Pawar reached Lahore to watch the first Test at Qadhafi Stadium.

Pawar pointed out that the president was hopeful that the series, like the previous, would help to further improve relations between the two neighbouring countries.

He avoided an answer when asked if Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to see the matches would not help improve ties.

However, PCB chairman interrupted and said it was not necessary that high personalities visit on all such occasions and he added some other politicians and ministers were scheduled to come to Pakistan.

Pawar said that no decision had been taken to organize matches between Pakistan and India to raise funds for the Oct 8 earthquake victims.

He said that the two boards would hold discussions to take a final decision in this regard.

Pawar, who is likely to announce a major decision regarding cricketing relations between the two countries at a press conference on Saturday, said that both the countries should host the Twenty20 World Cup tournament.

England had recently floated the idea of such an event.