Hopes of Indo-Pak series dying says PCB chief

“We were hopeful that Sushma Swaraj’s visit will make things better but it did not happen,” he was quoted as saying by Waqt News.

“We wanted to play, but India did not respond positively. It is already too late to organise the series and we don’t have time for the series anyway,” he added.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had agreed to play the series in Sri Lanka after the meeting of the board chiefs in Dubai on November 22. Both boards then wrote to their respective governments for clearance.

Initial reports had indicated that India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to the 'Heart of Asia' regional conference in Islamabad will pave the way for resumption of cricketing ties between the two nations. However, according to recent reports, the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Asiz in Islamabad did not include discussions about resumption of cricketing ties.

The PCB is reportedly looking at legal options with the series highly unlikely to take place. “We will decide our future plan after analysing our options under legal aspects and consultation,” Shahryar Khan said, reported Waqt News.

The BCCI and PCB had agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023, in which Pakistan were scheduled to host four.