Mani advises PCB to seek government help for resumption of cricketing ties with India
The former President of the International Cricket Council (http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, adding that chasing the Board of Cricket
Control India in this regard is nothing but a waste of time.
"The Pakistan board is wasting its time because cricket ties between the two countries have always been influenced by politics between the two governments," said Mani in an interview with a Pakistani sports channel.
"Instead of running after the Indian board and trying to convince them, the PCB should utilise its energies in seeking government help and support in order to get bilateral ties resumed," he added further.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since the deadly http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 attacks in 2008. The Indian government accuses Pakistan of aiding terrorist attacks.
The last time these two countries played a series was in India, in January 2008, with India scheduled to tour http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in early 2009, but in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the BBCI called the tour off. Since then cricketing relations have been on a
standstill.
As per the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the ICC, Pakistan was scheduled to tour India in March-April this year, but the BCCI officials have yet to confirm the tour despite a number of reminders sent by their counterparts in Pakistan. The new chairman
of the PCB, Zaka http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashraf-c46397 has also written a letter to the BCCI asking for the resumption of bilateral ties, but so far it is has proved futile.
The 2012 series has been shelved due to the schedule of the Asia Cup in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, which overlapped the bilateral series between the two countries.
Mani added that the matter should be resolved at the governmental level rather than between the two boards.
"That is why this matter has to be resolved at the political and government level and not by the boards. It is important for Pakistan and India to play cricket but this is something for the politicians to realise," he added.
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