Indo-Pak cricket series: Nawaz Sharif gives green signal; BCCI sets Dec 15 as tentative date

Shukla said he was optimistic that the Indian government will also give a go-ahead to the bilateral series.

New Delhi: IPL Chairman and BCCI functionary Rajeev Shukla on Thursday revealed that the much-awaited series between India and Pakistan is likely to be held in Sri Lanka from December 15.

Shukla's comments has come hours after Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif gave a green signal to the limited-overs series at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka.

"India-Pakistan series will happen tentatively from December 15 in Sri Lanka," Shukla told reporters.

"I am optimistic that the government will give the go-ahead to us. Both the parties (Boards) have agreed for Sri Lanka as a venue. The whole idea is to resume cricket between the two countries," Shukla said.

Earlier in the day, 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)