PCB may claim compensation

A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board has hinted that the visitors could seek compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India if the tour did not go ahead as per schedule.

Referring to Tuesday's statement by BCCI President Ranbir Singh Mahendra that Pakistan's tour to India could be called off if the legal wrangle over award of telecast rights was not resolved, the official said Pakistan would very much like the series to be held on schedule.

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"At present, we view it as a purely internal matter of the Indian Board but in case the tour does not come off because of the TV rights issue, then in such circumstances we can claim compensation from BCCI," the official, without wanting to be named, was quoted as saying by The News.

"We would very much like the tour to go on and we are planning accordingly. But in extreme circumstances the International Cricket Council has a clear-cut formula to handle such issues," he added.

"If a tour is called off on non-security grounds then the Board of the touring team has the option of claiming compensation from the host Board through ICC," he explained.

But "we are hopeful that BCCI will get the chance to sell the broadcast rights for the series because it's in the interest of both Boards that the matches are held on schedule."

He pointed out that in the past there have been instances where compensation has been paid by the host Board on similar grounds and recalled that in 2003 when South Africa had threatened to cancel its tour of Pakistan the PCB had approached ICC for compensation before the matter was resolved amicably.