By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday welcomed the International Cricket Council’s intervention to resolve concerns involving Pakistan and Bangladesh, calling it an “amicable solution” that puts the interests of the game first and clears the way for the scheduled World Cup fixture in Colombo.
Shukla said the breakthrough came after ICC representatives, under the supervision of ICC chairman, held discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Lahore to address outstanding issues surrounding the tournament.
“I am delighted to see the outcome and the deliberations initiated by the ICC representative,” Shukla told reporters.
“It’s a good and amicable solution which has been found to give priority to cricket and importance to the game.”
He credited the ICC for taking the lead in resolving the matter and ensuring continuity of the tournament.
“All credit goes to the ICC for taking this initiative, resolving the whole issue and bringing cricket back on the whole front,” Shukla said. “This is a big achievement as far as the ICC is concerned.”
Shukla said that Pakistan had agreed to play the scheduled match in Colombo on February 15, easing uncertainty over the fixture and strengthening confidence in the tournament’s smooth progression.
“I would like to thank the ICC for taking this initiative and bringing Pakistan to the table and ultimately deciding Pakistan to play in the Colombo game,” he said.
“It’s a good move for all of us.”
The BCCI vice-president added that the concerns raised by Bangladesh had also been addressed during the negotiations, describing the outcome as a balanced one.
“The important aspect is that Bangladesh’s feelings have also been assessed during these talks and some relief has been given to their board,” Shukla said. “They are happy and have praised the ICC for their efforts.”
Shukla said the agreement reflected a “win-win situation” for all stakeholders and expressed confidence that the tournament would proceed successfully.
“I am happy that the match will take place and the World Cup will be a successful event,” he said.
The ICC’s Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja rushed to Lahore on Sunday to hold a marathon meeting with the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The meeting was also attended by the BCB chief Aminul Islam who had also rushed to Punjab capital early Sunday morning to attend the meeting and meet the PCB chief.
After they departed BCB also requested PCB to play their February 15 game against India in Colombo. Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) also submitted the same request. Sri Lanka had already sent letter to PCB requesting it to review its decision of India game boycott. Sri Lanka president also talked to Pakistan prime minister on phone on Monday and soon after that the state press release came which said that the government has directed its national cricket team to play the game against India on February 15.
Pakistan had announced boycott after Bangladesh were excluded from the World Cup when ICC Executive Board rejected their request by a 14-2 majority that their World Cup matches should be relocated from India to Sri Lanka due to security fears.
ICC brought in Scotland in place of Bangladesh.
