New Delhi: Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the BCCI had long ago decided that there would be no bilateral cricket with Pakistan until it stopped cross-border terrorism and infiltration into India. Bilateral cricket relations between India and Pakistan have been strained for years due to simmering diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors, with both teams only playing each other in ICC and continental events.
Addressing the media on Friday, former BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, ‘As far as the game is concerned, the BCCI had long ago decided that a bilateral match with Pakistan would not take place unless it was free from infiltration and prevented across the border. Terrorism I think is the feeling of every common citizen of this country. Cricket relations between India and Pakistan are back in the news after an army colonel, a major and a deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir police were killed in an encounter with terrorists.
The Indian men’s cricket team is currently in Sri Lanka where they are participating in the Asia Cup 2023. India and Pakistan have met twice in the current tournament. One match was abandoned due to rain and in the second India defeated Pakistan by 228 runs. The Asia Cup 2023 was to be held entirely in Pakistan, but the BCCI, citing lack of permission from the Indian government, said it could not send its team. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) threatened to boycott the 2023 ODI World Cup to be held in India.
However, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) eventually arrived at a hybrid model in which some matches were to be played in Pakistan, while the rest in Sri Lanka. It was decided for India to play all their matches in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Pakistan have crashed out of the Asia Cup final race after losing to Sri Lanka in a last-ball thriller. Now this Sunday India and Sri Lanka will meet in the title match. The ODI Cricket World Cup is starting from October 5 in India. After much fanfare, Pakistan has now agreed to play in it.
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Tags: Anurag Thakur, Cricket, IND vs PAK, India Pakistan Relations
First published: September 15, 2023, 14:26 IST