PCB hits out BCCI, demands compensation on losses and clarity on resumption of India-Pak cricketing ties

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) executive committee chairman Najam Sethi has confirmed that they have demanded financial compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for losses incurred due to India's refusal to play bilateral series against them.

Sethi also has asked the BCCI for clarity over their future engagements and to confirm whether the board was ready to allow the team to play Pakistan in bilateral series and international events.

The two boards had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2014 which stipulated that the arch-rivals would play a total of six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023. However, they haven't faced-off yet, with the BCCI refusing to let the team play with president Anurag Thakur revealing that there will be no resumption of cricketing ties between the two countries till the time Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism.

"We have mentioned it clearly to BCCI and ICC in recent meeting that either India should play cricket with Pakistan or compensate us for damages. We have also demand compensation from the ICC as the PCB is suffering financially because of non-fulfilment of the BCCI's commitment to play cricket series with Pakistan", Sethi said, as quoted by India Today.

With the Indian cricket board refusing to let the team play Pakistan in the foreseeable future, Sethi wants them to clarify on their statement and give a definite decision.

"I met the BCCI President, Anurag Thakur on the sidelines of the ICC meeting in Cape Town and asked him whether India wanted to play with Pakistan or not. He didn't give a straight answer and in fact has floated some ideas which it would not be fair to discuss at this forum now," Sethi said.

The BCCI had recently revealed that they set to request the ICC to not club India and Pakistan in the same group at the 2017 Champions Trophy so as to avoid the two teams from facing each other. Sethi said if this is the case then the match points should be awarded to them and that India should forfeit their games.

"We have told the ICC that if India does not want to play us in ICC events we have no issues, only that the match points should be awarded to us and the matches considered forfeited by India", the former PCB chairman added.