PCB chief admits India-Pakistan series unlikely but denies reports of 2016 World T20 boycott

Shahryar Khan admitted that the series between India and Pakistan scheduled for December is highly unlikely

Shahryar Khan, the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has admitted that the likelihood of the series between India and Pakistan scheduled to be held in the UAE in December going ahead as planned is “very low”, IBNLive reports.

The 81-year-old also played down comments by ICC President Zaheer Abbas that Pakistani cricketers could boycott the 2016 World T20 to be held in India due to security concerns in the aftermath of the protests staged by the Shiv Sena on Monday that had forced talks between the BCCI and the PCB that was set to discuss the future of the series in December, to be called off.

"I am not optimistic (about the series) now after what has happened here because obviously there are pressures here. As of now, the chances are very low. I am not going to make any effort now," Khan told reporters in Delhi after failing in his attempts to hold talks with Indian government officials. "There are no further meetings now. Once we have a clear idea that the series won't happen then we will see all options. Taali do haath se bajti hai (It takes two hands to clap)."

Making known his side of the story when he was set to talk to BCCI president Shashank Manohar, Shahryar Khan recalled the sequence of events leading up to the events on Monday.

"He (Manohar) was gracious and wanted to talk. He asked would you come to Mumbai for a chat. He said come on Monday that is yesterday. I said fine, I will be in Mumbai on Sunday night. As you know half an hour before we were to meet, I got a message from the BCCI that we will delay the talks, then came another message, " he said referring to the Shiv Sena activists' storming of the BCCI headquarters on Monday.

"So I sat back, I was not in any danger. So that meeting was cancelled. I waited till evening if there was any rescheduled meeting but there was no indication from the BCCI," he added.

The PCB chief admitted to meeting IPL Chairman and senior BCCI official Rajeev Shukla at his residence in Delhi but added that the talks were unofficial.

“I came here and the idea was to meet other people and engage with BCCI. But there has been no word from BCCI on how they intend to move forward. So I am now going home because it is very clear that there are pressures here that are preventing BCCI. So I am going and no meeting now. I met Shukla ji because I know him for several years meeting him is not meeting the BCCI," he explained.

PCB chief denies making boycott claims

Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan cricketer and current president of the ICC had claimed o Monday that the scenes witnessed on Monday at Mumbai could force several of the Pakistani cricketers to boycott the 2016 World T20 to be held in India due to security concerns, but Shahryar Khan denied those claims stating that his words were taken out of context.

"I never used the word boycott. Once we have a clear idea that the series won't happen then we will see all options," he said. “I have no other plan, I am going home now. No response from the BCCI was given to me. There is no direct communication from BCCI."