The Pakistan cricket authorities have kept Monday as the final deadline for getting confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the bilateral series planned in Sri Lanka later this month.

A person close to the development said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was clear that if BCCI didn’t get back with a clearance for the series from the Indian government by Monday, it was all over.

“There is little time left to organize the series and if India does not respond by Monday this series is over,” the person said. He said PCB was also not very optimistic about the Indian government giving clearance for the series. “They just feel that time has now almost run out for having the series in Sri Lanka even from around mid December,” he said. “There is lot of logistics involved in hosting the series in a third country which also has lot of tourism especially December being a Christmas and New year holiday season month.”

Another cause of concern for the PCB is that due to shortage of time it will have to work round the clock to confirm title and other sponsors for the series, the person said.

He, however, confirmed that PCB has dropped plans to host a pentangular T20 event to fill in the gap in case the series against didn’t take place. “It has now been decided that the series against India doesn’t take place than the selectors and team management will organize a national training camp over two to three weeks and carry out complete fitness tests of all players before the tour to New Zealand in late January,” he said.

(PTI)