LAHORE, Feb 18: The tour of the Pakistan cricket team to India finally received 'green signal' when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed to the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) proposal of shifting the second Test from Ahmedabad to any other city on security grounds.
The PCB was ready to play at any Test venue including Mumbai, other than Ahmadabad and matter was resolved when the BCCI allotted the Test to Kolkata. In return the PCB accepted the BCCI's proposal of increasing the number of ODIs to six from five after giving a One-dayer to Ahmedabad.
"We received the new proposals late on Thursday from the BCCI and gave them our consent after getting approval from the government," PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan said. He said that the decision of playing the one-dayer at Ahmedabad was taken not to disappoint the lovers of the game of that city.
Shaharyar said that the new itinerary would be announced on Saturday and the tour might be delayed for few days from the scheduled Feb 25. He said that the PCB had proposed to exclude the three-day warm-up match scheduled before the start of the three Test match series in order not to alter the programme of the Test matches, but the BCCI was willing to retain it.
The chairman said that the PCB would like to acknowledge the statement of Indian foreign minister Mr Natwar Singh for categorically stating in Islamabad that sports should not be politicised and that the postponement of the tour was not an option.
He said that the PCB was also thankful to the International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani for extending a helping hand in resolving the issue during his recent visit to India. Shaharyar said that the Pakistan team would be announced on Saturday.
He said that the first PCB ad hoc committee meeting would now be held at Lahore on Saturday. The meeting was scheduled to be held in Karachi on Friday but postponed to settle the issue of the Indian tour, he said.
Meanwhile, the national selection committee will meet at the Qadhafi Stadium on Saturday to finalise the team for the tour. Chief selector Wasim Bari said that the team coach Bob Woolmer and captain Inzamamul Haq would be consulted before finalising a 16-member team for the three Test match series against India.
"I can not comment on any point regarding the selection. We will finalise the squad on Saturday and it is upto PCB to announce it or not the same day," Bari said. He said that players who performed well in the domestic season would be preferred in the Pakistan "A" team.
Meanwhile, a member of the selection committee Sultan Rana had given his resignation to the PCB after being appointed as Asian Cricket Council development secretary.
Bari said that he did not need any other member in place of the Sultan. Former Test cricketers Iqbal Qasim and Ihteshamul Haq are two other members of the selection committee.
PPI ADDS: Indian Gujarat State Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday welcomed Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to play a one-day match in state's capital Ahmedabad as part of its much-awaited cricket series in India.
"I hope they come ... Play ... And show sportsman spirit. Allah and Ishwar have given them understanding (to reconsider the decision to play here) and I thank them for that", Modi told reporters after the budget was presented in the assembly.
Modi also offered his best wishes to both the teams. To a question if he would go to watch the match, chief Mminister remained silent. Modi had come down heavily on Pakistan last week when PCB had announced reservation to play in the city due to security reasons.
The chief minister had, in an election rally at Ranchi last week, said Pakistan team was "afraid" of playing in the city as they were afraid of loosing to their arch rivals.
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