LAHORE, Dec 11: Amid growing tension between Pakistan and India following the Mumbai attacks, a constructive-cum-timely email sent by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt to the Indian cricket board’s President Shashank Manohar on Tuesday has given a new ray of hope to India’s impending tour to Pakistan, chances of which presently seem very slim.

The email contact also resulted in Ijaz getting convinced to visit Chennai, who besides taking part in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Chennai, will also hold talks with Shashank on the January-February series between the traditional rivals.

Ijaz is also to witness the ongoing first Test match between India and England in Chennai.

The current strained political relations between the two countries after the Mumbai incident last month has put the cricket tour at risk. The Indian government has been blaming Pakistan for the hideous occurrence, whereas the Pakistan government authorities, while rejecting their country’s involvement in the Nov 26 attacks on India’s financial hub, have been asking India for concrete proofs for substantiating their claims.

Ijaz, who left for India on Thursday and had reached Chennai on same night, kept the decision about his visit secret till the very last moment as he was awaiting a security clearance from the Pakistan government.

According to the email sent by the PCB chairman, he also expressed the desire for holding the series at a neutral venue, if the Indian government avoided giving permission to its squad to visit Pakistan.

The PCB chairman, in the email, also hailed England’s decision of resuming their India tour, which was also in the doldrums due to the Mumbai attacks, and hoped the same gesture would be shown for the Pakistan-India series.

According to the email obtained by Dawn, the PCB chairman said: “Dear Shashank Manohar all of us here in Pakistan are very perturbed with the Mumbai incident. We are here even glad to note that England has taken a good decision to continue their tour of India. We now hope that India will also agree to come to Pakistan for the confirmed series in January next year.

“Your visit to us will be secure and we have been assured by the authorities concerned of head-of-the-state level security arrangements for the Indian team. Your visit will certainly send a good message to the cricket lovers and that daily life will go on in spite of such ugly incidents.

“If for some reasons you do not get permission to visit Pakistan then we need to discuss on urgent basis alternative venues [offshore].”

In reply, Shashank sent a reply within minutes and informed that the BCCI was awaiting Ijaz’s visit to Chennai and that they were ready to discuss the Indian team’s tour to Pakistan.

The Indian cricketing authorities are still waiting for a go ahead signal from their government for the tour as the two boards still enjoy good relations.

Though both the boards are willing to continue their cricket activities, current tense relations between the two countries are not indicating any positive signal that the Indian team will be in Pakistan as per schedule to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 International.

The time is also running out as completing the arrangements for such a high-profile series within the next 25 days is not an easy task.

Sources said under the current situation, the BCCI may ask the PCB to swap the tour with them. The second option is to hold the series at any neutral venue, for which Malaysia and Abu Dhabi are under consideration.