PCB shouldn't agree to India request for tri-series: Mehmood

Former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Khalid Mehmood has advised the present PCB set-up against accepting any BCCI invitation to play a proposed tri-series with Sri Lanka in India later this year.

"I would advise the PCB officials to not run after the Indians and not try to reschedule the coming "home" series against Sri Lanka for the sake of this tri-series which is apparently the brainchild of the BCCI," Mehmood said.

The top officials of Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka Boards reportedly discussed the possibility of such a tri-series sometime in December in India on the sidelines of the Asian Cricket Council meeting in Chennai yesterday.

Media reports said a final decision had been deferred until the BCCI officials meet their South African counterparts next week to iron out a dispute over the itinerary of India's tour to South Africa this season.

Mehmood said PCB should not make compromises on its home series for the sake of accommodating the Indian board.

"We shouldn't say yes just because it now suits India. The BCCI never supports the PCB and it will be detrimental for us to revise our home series for their benefit," he said.

"If the PCB wants to play the tri-series and agrees to it than it should only be on condition that BCCI plays us in a bilateral series in the near future and we organise it," Mehmood, who was PCB Chairman in the 90s, added.

Mahmood, who has also remained the manager of Pakistan under-19 and senior teams which toured India in the past, said Pakistan needs to have a long term agreement with India to benefit its cricket.

"The BCCI has not been very supportive to us and if I recall they didn't pay us anything for the one-day series we played in India in December. They also owe us compensation for not touring Pakistan in 2009. So, now it is time we benefitted financially from any agreement with them," the former PCB chief said.

Chance of the tri-series going ahead has brightened with the Indian government's decision to issue visas to Faisalabad Wolves team to play in the Champions League Twenty20.