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NEW DELHI: Pakistan wants to host the first bilateral Test tour by India in eight years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Sunday after meeting Indian board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata.
The tour, comprising three Tests, five one-dayers and two Twenty20 games is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last year to play five series in the next eight years.
“We want to resume India-Pakistan series in the UAE,” Khan told reporters after a meeting with BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata on Sunday.
“Preparations are in full swing. We have to overcome the final hurdle because an India-Pakistan series is more important than any series in world cricket.”
Read: Is Pakistan ready for international cricket?
The reluctance of the Indian government to clear bilateral cricket matches against Pakistan due to political tensions has meant the two nations have not contested a Test series since 2007.
But they continue to meet in multi-nation tournaments like the World Cup or the Champions Trophy.
Dalmiya said he was hopeful the series will go ahead ─ provided the Modi government gave the green signal.
“We are very hopeful of reviving the series .. But a few things need to be sorted out. Without the support of the federal home ministry and the government, we can't go forward," he said.
The BCCI said in a statement that it was “desirable to recommence cricket contact” with Pakistan.
Read: BCCI needs permission from new govt for Pakistan series, says Shaharyar
“After proactive discussions, since there are certain matters that need to be addressed and considered, it was decided to take appropriate steps,” the statement said.
“The two boards would be in regular touch and review the situation.”
Last year, Pakistan signed MoUs with the BCCI for six bilateral series to be contested during the next eight years, with Pakistan staging four of them.
Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi who signed these MoUs had termed it a big success, claiming the PCB would earn a whopping Rs30 billion by hosting India in the proposed four series.
