PCB told to 'be prepared' for Pak vs India bilateral series: report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly received indication from higher authorities that a bilateral series with India could be on the horizon this year, Daily Jang reported on Wednesday.

An unnamed official of the Board, when asked to comment on cricket diplomacy, at first denied being approached directly by Indian officials but admitted that there have been hints that something could be in the works.

"We've been told to be prepared," the official is quoted as saying by the Urdu daily.

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PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, however, took a more careful line, reiterating that the PCB is not a party in any talks with their Indian counterparts.

Jang further reported that murmurs regarding the revival of the Pak-India bilateral series have been spotted in the Indian media as well.

The publication further notes that the efforts regarding the series are being made by the same party that is reportedly trying to broker a peace accord between the neighbours, whose already frail relations have frayed over the past few years to the extent that they came on the verge of war in 2019.

In case a series comes to fruition, a window of six days for three matches could be identified despite this being a jam-packed calendar year for cricket.

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