'Pakistan shouldn't repeat the mistake of playing its home series in India'

Karachi: A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday said he would advise the PCB against sending its national team to India for the planned bilateral series in December.

Najam Sethi, who heads the PCB Executive Committee, told the media in Lahore that it would not be advisable for Pakistan to hold its 'home' series in India.

"If we get a formal proposal suggesting that the series be played in India, I would categorically reject it and advise the board of governors to not accept any such offers," said Sethi.

The PCB's board of governors is scheduled to meet on November17.

He noted that Pakistan were the hosts for the series in December and had already picked UAE as a neutral venue.

"I think it is time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honoured the agreement signed between the two countries last year," Sethi said.

Sethi was heading the Pakistan board when he signed a MOU with his Indian counterpart last year under which both countries will play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023 with the first one to be hosted by Pakistan in December.

"The situation is that we went to India in 2007 and they were supposed to make a return trip. But we again sent our team to India in 2012 and didn't get a single penny from the Indian board," Sethi said.

"Indian board should now honour the commitment it has made in the MOU to us and play the series as planned in UAE," he added.

After signing the MOU Sethi had said that Pakistan could earn around USD 450 million in the next eight years, mainly through organising three series against India.

"I don't know why we should play in India because under the MOU we are supposed to play in UAE. I would say Pakistan shouldn't repeat the mistake of playing its home series in India," he said.

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