Shashank Manohar to discuss series with Pakistan Cricket Board again

Despite the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan ruling out the possibility of playing next month's proposed India-Pakistan bilateral series in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn't lost hope.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar, who was made the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in place of N Srinivasan at Board's annual general meeting here on November 9, is likely to take up the issue when he makes his first visit as chairman to the ICC office in Dubai later this week.

It is learnt that Manohar is likely to meet Khan and convince him to send his team to India. It is also understood that former England and Wales Cricket Board chief Giles Clarke, who is also head of the ICC's Pakistan Task Force, might play the mediator between the two and will try to persuade Khan to allow the team to tour India.

"Manohar will be going to Dubai to take over as the chairman from Srinivasan. He might take up the issue there and try to convince Pakistan to tour India. Clarke, who is a senior figure in the ICC, will play the mediator," a source from the BCCI said.

Last week, the BCCI chief had officially invited Pakistan for a bilateral series in December. However, Khan had declined the offer, saying they wanted to play at home, which is the United Arab Emirates. But the BCCI is not keen on playing the series in the UAE.