LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has seemingly decided to play down the much-publicised issue of the resumption of bilateral series against India as the matter was not included in the important points of the agenda of the 38th Board of Governors meeting to be held here on Tuesday.

Recently Najam Sethi, a key PCB official, vowed that he would take a stand in the afore-mentioned meeting that Pakistan would not go to India for its ‘home’ series since the Indians didn’t even want to play on the neutral venues of the UAE in December.

But surprisingly, there was no mention of the resumption of ties in the agenda of the meeting which was disclosed in a brief press statement.

“Confirmation of the minutes of 37th meeting of BoG held on August 18, 2015, Chairman’s Report, Annual Budget for the Financial Year 2015-16, Update on PCB’s Strategic Plan and Cricket Committee’s Meetings, Progress on Pakistan Super League and Approval of Anti-Corruption Code,” it stated as the main agenda points.

In a new development, federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali vowed that he will raise his voice against the Pakistan cricket team touring India.

Last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the PCB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for six bilateral series in the next eight years with four in Pakistan and two in India.

Sethi, who was then PCB chairman, claimed the signing of the MoU as a big achievement although it has since been proven that it hasn’t been enough to bind India to resume the bilateral series.

In the bargain of the MoUs, Pakistan backed the takeover of the International Cricket Council (ICC) by the Big Three — the cricket boards of India, Australia and England.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015