PCB banking on India's tour to fill its empty coffers

Karachi, July 9 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping to revive its sagging bank accounts by hosting arch rivals India.

The PCB's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Saleem Altaf expressed the hope that despite the present scenario where India and several other foreign team have refused to visit Pakistan due to the precarious security conditions, India would be playing a cricket series in Pakistan soon.

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"It is a case of ebb and flow when it comes to Indo-Pak relations. In 2004, India came here after 15 years. But I personally don't expect it to be that long this time. India could tour Pakistan as early as next year. It is certainly possible. Efforts are on to find a solution for this issue and I am quite hopeful," The News quoted Altaf, as saying.

But it seems highly unlikely that India would visit Pakistan amid the current situation, where both PCB and the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) at loggerheads following the ICC's decision to shift 2011 World Cup matches from Pakistan.

The PCB has blamed the BCCI for influencing the apex cricket authority's decision to shift Pakistan's share of World cup matches to the other three host nations India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Recently, the PCB had also raised a strong objection over the BCCI's decision not to include a single bilateral series with Pakistan in its proposed future tours programme (FTP).

However, Altaf believes that things would be sorted out soon.

"The ICC has decided to have a task force that will ensure that Pakistan don't get a raw deal. We are hoping that things will be resolved amicably," he said.

According to an estimate, the PCB lost about 42 million dollars when India cancelled its tour to Pakistan in March, after relations between the two neighbouring countries soured following the November 2008 terror attacks.

If issues are resolved, Pakistan will host India at least three times in the next six years which would give a whopping 135 million dollar boost to its depleted accounts. (ANI)