Thakur virtually rules out Indo-Pak cricket series

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur today but virtually ruled out the possibility of an early resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series even as he strongly condemned the Shiv Sena protests inside the Board headquarters in Mumbai.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan is in India to discuss the possibilty of an Indo-Pak series in December as per an MoU signed between the two Boards, but Thakur said that first the conditions have to improve to hold talks and only then a bilateral series could be a possibility.
"First of all I condemn this attack. You can't barge into BCCI premises and force people not to hold talks with the PCB chairman. I think BCCI President is competent anough to discuss the matter with the PCB chairman but the final call is always taken after discussing with the union government.

"In a democracy you can protest, but on the streets. Raise your voice but you can't barge into someone's home, office, headquarters, I think that was not fair," Thakur said on the sidelines of the selection committee meeting in the national capital.
"In terms of relations between BCCI and PCB, we had held talks five months earlier and then again. I had made it clear earlier as well that the talks can continue between the Boards, but cricket will only happen when conditions will improve.
Thakur said it will bevery difficult for him give a timeframe as to when cricketing ties can be restored.

"Talks will happen between the two nations and only then the Boards will be able to decide. The two governments will have to start talking at one level. If you talk about the December series, it will be very difficult for me to commit till we talk with the union government", he said.