India should either play with us or compensate for damages, says PCB chairman

Karachi [Pakistan], Nov. 9 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has demanded monetary compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for damages after India's refusal to play the scheduled series. "We have mentioned it clearly to BCCI and ICC in recent meeting that either India should play cricket with Pakistan or compensate us for damages," PCB Executive Committee Chairman Najam Sethi was quoted as saying by the Dawn. "We have also demand compensation from ICC as PCB is suffering financially because of non-fulfilment of BCCI's commitment to play cricket series with Pakistan" he added. BCCI chief Anurag Thakur had earlier made a requested to the ICC not to place both India and Pakistan in the same group during upcoming international events. "Keeping in mind that the [Indian] government has adopted a new strategy to isolate Pakistan and in view of the public sentiment in the country, we request ICC not to put India and Pakistan in the same pool of the multi-nation tournaments," Thakur had said. The hostilities between the two nations had further flared after the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 29. Two Pakistani soldiers and over 30 terrorists were reportedly killed in the attack. The surgical strikes were in response to the terrorist attack at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 19 Indian Army soldiers on September 19. While the BCCI repeatedly snubbed Pakistan's request for resumption of ties, the PCB wants the Anurag Thakur-led board to honour its commitment of six series between 2015-2023 under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014, which is subjected to Indian government's clearance. (ANI)