ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf on Tuesday said that the act of erasing Gaddafi Stadium’s wall by Town Municipal Administration (TMA) Gulberg had earned a bad name for the country and made the restoration of international cricket more difficult.

Addressing a news conference here, the PCB chairman, appreciated Imran Khan’s statement regarding TMA’s action, saying: “Imran is the only person who spoke about the incident.”

Imran had condemned demolition of the stadium’s wall by the TMA which claims that it was illegally constructed by the PCB as a result of which the latter took the matter to the Lahore High Court (LHC).

These kind of acts will create further hurdles in bringing international cricket back, the PCB chief lamented.

Talking about his recent visit to India, Zaka said his tour was successful, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would be signed soon for resumption of cricket between the two countries.

Answering a question, the chairman said Indian junior and women cricket teams would also visit Pakistan.

“The BCCI has also assured Pakistani cricketers’ participation in the next edition of the IPL,” the PCB chief claimed.

Formalities of the bilateral series will be finalised during the ICC’s annual conference in Kuala Lumpur later this month.

“Nothing has been finalised as yet because India will come up with a proposal at Kuala Lumpur, but what I felt was that the series will be held this year,” Zaka said.

BCCI president Narainswamy Srinivasan also met the PCB chief in New Delhi and assured him he will talk with other BCCI officials before finalising an agreement with the PCB.

“He told me ‘just give us a little time, we will talk more on this in Kuala Lumpur after I talk with other BCCI officials,’” Zaka said.

He said that both countries were moving forward particularly after President Asif Ali Zardari’s meeting with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh.—Agencies