PCB again asks BD to give reasons for not playing Tests in Pakistan.

Byline: Khalid H. Khan

KARACHI -- While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) still remains adamant that its national side would only travel to Pakistan for the three-match Twenty20 International series in January over security concerns, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again asked their counterparts to provide valid reasons for their refusal to play the Test matches here.

A senior PCB official said on Thursday the BCB has been asked to explain the rationale of their reluctance to fulfill their obligation under the ICC Future Tour Programme (FTP).

The PCB has reminded that the series has been on the FTP since December 2018, while on 21 October 2019, the PCB had written to the BCB about the series and shared the draft itinerary, which they only responded in December.

The PCB, in an email on Thursday, has recapped that the Sri Lanka cricket team, which was targeted in March 2009 by the terrorists, had just completed the Test series of an incident-free two-leg tour to Pakistan.

Sri Lanka spent a grand total of 34 days, 17 each across the limited-overs trip - in September/October when they played One-day Internationals in Karachi and the T20 series in Lahore - and the recent Test matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

The visitors not only commended the PCB but also praised the Pakistan government for making excellent security arrangements during the landmark tour.

In fact, Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne, during his media briefings, repeatedly regretted at skipping the ODI leg after being overwhelmed by the security blanket to his team both in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

'We have also offered the BCB that if they have any concerns, they should visit Pakistan and discuss the matter with us so that we are able to convince them and provide better guidance,' a PCB spokesman said, while adding: 'The discussions are ongoing and we remain confident that the BCB will review their decision.'

The PCB has further written in the letter that the International Cricket Council (ICC) only sends its officials after reviewing and approving security plans. Since 2017, the PCB said, the game's governing body had sent five teams of match officials to supervise the international fixtures played in Pakistan.

The BCB stance is quite strange because in recent months it had sent an under-16 national team to Rawalpindi and the women's side to Lahore after a high-powered visit by their security delegation.

Moreover, the PCB has advised BCB officials to reach out...