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Published 21 Jul, 2012 12:36pm

PCB confident of staging India series at home

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has strongly rejected reports that it was considering the possibility of hosting India in England for the reciprocal series between the two sides.

I want to make it crystal clear that the PCB hasn’t even thought about the reciprocal series against India so there is no truth in any reports on this issue,” PCB’s media manager Nadeem Sarwar said.

“Whenever that series comes under discussion, the first choice is going to be Pakistan,” Sarwar added.

But the reluctance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send a team across the border may mean that Pakistani fans may have to travel to England to see their team host India, after other venues did not find favour with the Indian board.

Pakistan and India are tentatively scheduled to take on each other in India first during a small window in December when the visiting English team will return home for a Christmas and New Year break.

But while the Indian board seems to be well on course to get everything right in time for the series, the PCB may once again be left scurrying for venues as it did with its upcoming series against Australia.

It has emerged that India is unwilling to play Pakistan in UAE, the teams temporary home, as it may ‘attract unwelcome attention’ of the illegal betting industry.

The possibility, although very unlikely, of the series being hosted in India has even come up, with the venues being leased to the Pakistani board.

But as things stand it seems the three ODIs and two T20s will most likely find a host in England where logistics will not be an issue.

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