PCB accuses India, Aus of sidelining Pak in draft FTP

03 July 2009

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board has accused "big nations" India and Australia of trying to "marginalise" the strife-torn country in the draft Future Tours Programmes from 2012 to 2020.

The PCB had raised strong objection to the FTP drafted by the BCCI since it does not include any bilateral series between the arch-rivals and refused to sign the same unless the Indian board revises the draft.

"The draft was placed before the ICC for ratification by the executive board last month but we resisted because we were being marginalised in the new FTP," a PCB official said in condition of anonymity.

The official also accused India of being the apparent driving force behind the new draft FTP, in which they had not slotted any series against Pakistan or Bangladesh.

"We protested strongly and made it clear that we would not sign the draft FTP submitted by the four big nations," he said.

"Due to the strong protest by us, other nations including South Africa conceded Pakistan was not being given proper representation in the new FTP," the source added.

The PCB's chief operating officer Saleem Altaf said, "The ICC President David Morgan has assured us that no injustice would be done with the smaller Test playing nations and Pakistan, being a leading cricket nation cannot be allowed to be marginalised in the FTP."

However, Altaf did not reveal more details of that meeting.

The PCB source said that the four big nations had not even bothered to send copies of the draft FTP to Pakistan before it was tabled for discussion.

"That is why we protested. And we have told India they have to schedule Test series against us regardless of the political situation between the two countries," the source said.

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