The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given an ultimatum for the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to confirm the bilateral series between the two countries scheduled to be played in December.

It has been reported that a Monday deadline has been set as Pakistan await a 'final reply' from India with time running out for the series to take place even in Sri Lanka.

“It is very unfortunate that confusion still prevails. And under these circumstances, it won’t be easy for any organisation to complete all arrangements well before time,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told Dawn.

"There is little time left to organise the series and if India does not respond by Monday this series is over," PTI reported quoting an unnamed official.

A PCB official was reported as saying they were not confident of getting Indian government's confirmation in time.

"They just feel that time has now almost run out for having the series in Sri Lanka even from around mid-December. There is a lot of logistics involved in hosting the series in a third country which also has a lot of tourism. Especially with December being a Christmas and New Year holiday-season month," the source said.

Khan had asked the BCCI to give a final reply, either positive or otherwise.

“The PCB has played a positive role in managing the affairs to restore the bilateral series and now the ball is in India’s court,” he added.

The BCCI could also face legal action if they do not go ahead with the proposed series between India and Pakistan as part of ICC's Future Tours and Programme.

The BCCI had given the commitment to play two Test matches, five ODIs and two Twenty20s with Pakistan at “UAE or mutually-agreed venue” in December 2015, according to the letter in possession of PTI.

The commitment by BCCI in its April 9 letter was given in the context of resolutions placed at the ICC Executive Board meeting on February 8, 2014 relating to “a new financial model and governance structure for the ICC”.

The reference to the new “governance structure for the ICC” was seen to include Srinivasan’s bid for the ICC’s Chairmanship for which he needed support from the Asian bloc, including PCB.

“Further to our meetings and discussions over the past few weeks regarding the bi-lateral tours between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hereby agree that the senior men’s cricket teams of India and Pakistan will play each other as per the schedule...,” said the letter from Sanjay Patel, the then BCCI Secretary to Najam Sethi, the then Chairman of the PCB and now a senior functionary of that board.

The BCCI had also said then that it will make “all efforts to engage in a limited-overs format short tour to Pakistan in November 2014 based on the availability of possible dates”.

The PCB has mooted the idea of the bilateral series taking place in Sri Lanka, after BCCI refused to play in the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan's adopted cricket home.

However, the tour which set to begin in mid-December hasn't got BCCI or Indian government's approval as yet.