India to play cricket against Pakistan


The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that details of reviving a bilateral cricket series with India would be worked out sometime in June after directives from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. 

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt told a newspaper in an interview that he was hopeful that details of the series would be worked out in June. 

"We have got positive signals from across the border, which is a good sign for Indo-Pak cricket," he said. 

Butt, however, said that since the Prime Minister has instructed the PCB not to plan the series at any neutral venue, the Indian team would be invited to play in Pakistan. 

"The revival series will not be held at a neutral venue because the Prime Minister wants us to play host to the Indians and we are confident that we can organise the series safely and successfully," Butt said. 

"What we need to know work out is find a suitable time slot from the busy schedules of both teams to organise this series." 

Butt also hinted that due to the packed calendar of the Indian team, the series could be split into two parts, saying that the T20 and One-day matches could be played at one time, followed by the Test series later. 

He said that since the Prime Minister was taking personal interest in the matter, foolproof security would be provided for the proposed series. 

"We are also hopeful that if we can host India in Pakistan. It will also pave the way for other teams to tour Pakistan." 

India cancelled a tour to Pakistan in early 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks and suspended all bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan. 

But the ice broke recently when Pakistan's premier visited Mohali on the invitation of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and they watched the World Cup semifinal together. 

Butt said the World Cup match and the presence of the two Prime Ministers had broken the ice and they were clear indications that both governments wanted revival of cricketing ties.

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