Will India-Pakistan play a bilateral series soon? Here’s the answer

Tags: India, Pakistan, PCB, BCCI

Published on: May 29, 2017

Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Monday made it clear that there would be no India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series until cross border terrorism stops. Pakistan played three One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals during a short visit back in 2012-13.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Monday made it clear that there would be no India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series until cross border terrorism stops. Pakistan played three One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals during a short visit back in 2012-13. No bilateral series has been played since.

Goel's comments came after BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary said that India was not averse to playing a bilateral cricket series against Pakistan.

"BCCI must talk to government first. Bilateral series with Pakistan will be difficult because terror and cricket can't go hand in hand. Pakistan is spreading terrorism in Kashmir, indulging in cross-border terrorism. In these cases, we can't have a bilateral series with them. As far as multi-lateral events are concerned, we have no control over those. So the two countries will continue to play each other in such tournaments,” the minister was quoted as saying in media reports.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier sent a legal notice to BCCI claiming US dollars 60 million in damages for not honouring an agreement to play five cycles of bilateral series between 2015-2023.

"We are not averse to a bilateral series with Pakistan. But everything depends on whether the government gives clearance. The series will not be possible without approval from the government," Chaudhary said earlier in the day.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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