View source for Indian cricket team against Pakistan in Sri Lanka in 2015–16

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox cricket tour
| series_name              = Indian cricket team against Pakistan in Sri Lanka in 2015–16
| team1_image              = Flag of Pakistan.svg
| team1_name               = Pakistan
| team2_image              = Flag of India.svg
| team2_name               = India
| from_date                = December 2015
| to_date                  =
| team1_captain            =
| team2_captain            =
| no_of_ODIs               = 3
| team1_ODIs_won           =
| team2_ODIs_won           =
| team1_ODIs_most_runs     =
| team2_ODIs_most_runs     =
| team1_ODIs_most_wickets  =
| team2_ODIs_most_wickets  =
| player_of_ODI_series     =
| no_of_twenty20s              = 2
| team1_twenty20s_won          =
| team2_twenty20s_won          =
| team1_twenty20s_most_runs    =
| team2_twenty20s_most_runs    =
| team1_twenty20s_most_wickets =
| team2_twenty20s_most_wickets =
| player_of_twenty20_series    =
}}
The [[India national cricket team|Indian cricket team]] were scheduled to tour [[Sri Lanka]] in December 2015 to play [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]. The tour was planned to consist of three [[One Day International]]s (ODIs) and two [[Twenty20 International]]s (T20Is).<ref name="SL">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/944407.html |title=Pakistan government clears India bilateral series |access-date=26 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> Despite several locations being suggested to host the matches, neither side could agree on when and where to play the games and the series did not go ahead.
==Background==
Originally the tour was scheduled to take place in the [[United Arab Emirates]] between 8 December 2015 and 9 January 2016,<ref name="Tour">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/873825.html |title=PCB bullish about India series in December |access-date=11 May 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref name="Tour2">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/941877.html |title=PCB insists it should host India in UAE |access-date=17 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> with the teams playing three [[Test cricket|Test matches]], five ODIs and two T20Is.
On 24 August 2015 [[Zaheer Abbas]], the president of cricket's governing body, said that the series might be delayed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricket.yahoo.com/news/cricket-icc-cannot-revive-indo-pak-cricket-ties-144335906.html |title=No India-Pakistan cricket anytime soon |access-date=24 August 2015 |work=Yahoo Cricket}}</ref> In October 2015 [[Shahryar Khan]], chairman of the [[Pakistan Cricket Board]] (PCB), said that Pakistan would consider pulling out of the [[2016 ICC World Twenty20|2016 World Twenty20]] tournament if this series did not go ahead.<ref name="Khan">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/933063.html |title=PCB moots World Twenty20 boycott |access-date=24 October 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>
In November 2015 the PCB and [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] (BCCI) were still in talks about agreeing the location of the series, with the BCCI suggesting it could be held in India, rather than the UAE.<ref name="Nov15">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/940815.html |title=BCCI offers PCB bilateral series in India |access-date=14 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> A day after the BCCI made its suggestion, the PCB stated that Pakistan could not play a series in India and that the series would only be possible if it was played in the UAE.<ref name="Nov15PCB">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/941373.html |title='No question of playing in India' - PCB chief |access-date=16 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> The PCB's Shaharyar Khan said that a decision regarding the series lies with the Pakistan prime minister, [[Nawaz Sharif]].<ref name="Nawaz">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/942603.html |title=Decision on Ind-Pak series lies with Pakistan PM - PCB |access-date=20 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>
On 22 November 2015 a meeting with the BCCI and PCB took place, where the possibility of holding the series in Sri Lanka was presented as an option.<ref name="SriLanka">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/943001.html |title=Sri Lanka believed to be in mix to host Ind-Pak |access-date=22 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> This would consist of three ODI matches and two T20I matches.<ref name="SriLanka" /> The BCCI confirmed that the series would take place in Sri Lanka, with other options being Bangladesh and England, the latter proposed for the Summer of 2016.<ref name="SL" />
However, the Indian government had not granted permission for the series to take place, stating that the final decision rests with the Indian prime minister, [[Narendra Modi]].<ref name="IndiaPM">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/945213.html |title=Indian government casts shadow over Pakistan series |access-date=28 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> In response to the delay from the Indian government, the PCB said that they would host a one-off [[Twenty20|T20]] tournament that features five domestic sides if the series does not go ahead.<ref name="PCBT20">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/945231.html |title=PCB plans domestic T20 as back-up for India series |access-date=28 November 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>
An outcome on the future of the series was scheduled to be announced on 9 December.<ref name="9Dec">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/949979.html |title=Decision on Ind-Pak series likely on Wednesday |access-date=8 December 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> However, despite a meeting taking place between ministers from both India and Pakistan, no decision was reached regarding the series.<ref name="9Dec" />
On 19 December 2015 the BCCI secretary [[Anurag Thakur]] had all but ruled out the series from happening, with a short window before [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2015–16|India's tour to Australia]] in January. He said that the decision lies with Pakistan and the PCB to make.<ref name="Thakur">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/953445.html |title=India-Pakistan series appears difficult - Thakur |access-date=20 December 2015 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>
==Anti-Pakistan protests in Mumbai==
On the morning of 19 October, BCCI president [[Shashank Manohar]] and PCB chairman [[Shaharyar Khan]] were to discuss a proposed India-Pakistan series in December. Just prior the meeting a group of 50 workers from the [[Shiv Sena]], a far-right nationalist political party, stormed into the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and demanding the cancellation of the series. They also threatened to stop [[Aleem Dar]] from officiating in the [[South African cricket team in India in 2015–16#5th ODI|Mumbai ODI]] of the ongoing India-South Africa ODI series.
[[Aleem Dar]], a member of the elite panel of ICC umpires, who had officiated in the first three ODIs of the series, and was also scheduled to umpire in the fourth and fifth ODIs in Chennai and Mumbai, was withdrawn from the ODIs in response to the above incident by the ICC. [[Wasim Akram]] and [[Shoaib Akhtar]], a part of the commentary team, decided to leave India before the 5th ODI at Mumbai.<ref>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-south-africa-2015-16/content/story/930653.html Akhtar, Akram and Dar to leave India early]</ref>
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==ODI series==
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==T20I series==
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===2nd T20I===
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==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{International cricket tours of Pakistan}}
{{International cricket in 2015–16}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian cricket team against Pakistan in Sri Lanka in 2015-16}}
[[Category:2015 in Pakistani cricket]]
[[Category:2015 in Indian cricket]]
[[Category:International cricket competitions in 2015–16]]
[[Category:Indian cricket tours of Pakistan]]