India, Aus sidelining Pak in FTP: PCB by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

Saleem Altaf

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DateLine: 3rd July 2009

 

Pakistan Cricket Board has accused India and Australia of trying to "marginalise" the strife-torn nation in the draft Future Tours Programme (FTP) from 2012 to 2020.

 

The PCB had raised objection to the FTP drafted by the BCCI since the draft does not include any bilateral series between the arch-rivals. They also refused to sign the same unless the Indian board revises the draft.

 

"The draft was placed before the ICC for ratification by the executive board last month but we resisted because we were being marginalised in the new FTP," a PCB official said on condition of anonymity.

 

The official accused India of being the driving force behind the new draft FTP. The FTP does not have any slot for any series against Pakistan or Bangladesh.

 

"We protested strongly and made it clear that we would not sign the draft FTP submitted by the four big nations," he said.

 

"Due to the strong protest by us, other nations including South Africa conceded Pakistan was not being given proper representation in the new FTP," the source added.

 

"The ICC president David Morgan has assured us that no injustice would be done with the smaller Test playing nations and Pakistan being a leading cricket nation cannot be allowed to be marginalised in the FTP," said PCB's chief operating officer Saleem Altaf.

 

Altaf though did not reveal details of that meeting.