Nawaz Sharif gives go ahead to Indo-Pak series in Sri Lanka, Indian govt's response awaited

Both the boards had sought permissions from their respective governments post a meeting in Dubai.

New Delhi: In what is a positive response for the proposed bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan, the Pakistani government has given its nod to a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka next month.

Private television channel Geo News reported that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it could send a team to play against India at a neutral venue.

Giles Clarke, who heads International Cricket Council's Pakistan Task Force, had earlier organized a meeting between PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and BCCI president Shashank Manohar last week in Dubai, where Sri Lanka was chosen as the possible venue.

Both the boards had sought permissions from their respective governments post the meeting.

The decision from the Indian government is still awaited.

The BCCI has already written to their Union Home Ministry seeking clearance for the series to go-ahead in the island nation.

The official announcement is expected to be made on Friday, November 27 in Dubai at the ICC headquarters and it will be done by chairman of the PCB 'Task Force' Giles Clarke.

The series was cleared late last week when BCCI president Shahshank Manohar met Khan and senior PCB official Najam Sethi at the ICC headquarters in presence of Clarke where Sri Lanka turned out to be a mutually acceptable venue.

(With Agency inputs)