Indo-Pak cricket ties may be discussed during ACC meet

The issue of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan is likely to come up for discussion when the presidents of the respective Cricket Boards meet in Lahore during the two-day meeting of the Asian Cricket Council starting on May 25.

Though the two sides maintain that the meeting was aimed at finalising proposals to initiate development projects in the region, it is widely believed that Indian Government's decision not to play Pakistan in a bilateral series and at non-regular venues will come up for discussion.

This is the first time that BCCI president AC Muthiah and PCB chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia are meeting and also the first high-level interaction between the two Boards since the Indian government's decision to pull its team out of the triangular one-day series in Sharjah last month.

"We will be basically looking at proposals to initiate development projects like training programmes in the region," BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele and treasurer Kishore Rungta told PTI over phone from Lahore. There could also be general discussions about the status of ongoing investigations into match-fixing by ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit, they said.

Interestingly, ACU chief Sir Paul Condon, whose report on investigations into betting and match-fixing was made public yesterday, is arriving in Lahore on Friday, the concluding day of the conference, in connection with his probe.

ACC secretary Zakir Mohammad Sayeed said the meeting would discuss the proper utilisation of the $6.5 million provided by ICC. The money would be used in about 13 countries in the region which needed assistance for the promotion of the game. Sayeed welcomed India's decision to participate in the Asia Cup next year which is to be hosted by Pakistan. "We greatly welcome the Indian decision to play Pakistan in regular tournaments. This will certainly improve the sporting relations between the two countries," he said.

Sayeed, however, was not sure whether Pakistan would raise objections to the Indian Government's decision not to play in a bilateral series.

The meeting which will also be attended by representatives from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will finalise the schedules for Asia Cup and the Asian Test Championship.