No Indo-Pak series in the near future

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for Cricketain.com

Published: November 3, 2009

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Mohali: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ruled out resumption of bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan in the near future but has promised to take up the issue next year provided they get a go ahead from the Government.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt met his Indian counterpart Shashank Manohar on the sidelines of the fourth India-Australia ODI at Mohali and sought resumption of cricketing ties that were snapped in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks last year. Manohar told Butt that the BCCI has to seek government’s go-ahead before committing anything and the Indian team’s calendar is also too jam-packed to squeeze in an Indo-Pak series, Board spokesman Rajiv Shukla said.

“Mr. Butt sought resumption of the bilateral series but Manohar told him that the Indian team has a choc-a-bloc calendar in the next seven-eight months. We are playing Australia now, then comes Sri Lanka and after that we have Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. There is simply no space (for a bilateral series),” Shukla said. “Manohar told him that after 7-8 months, we would resume talks. Meanwhile, we have to seek the government’s points of view as well.”

“We have to keep that in mind and conditions also have to be conducive between the two countries in terms of diplomatic relations,” Shukla said.

Asked if they discussed the possibility of having bilateral series in neutral venues — an idea mooted by Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor — Shukla said, “right now, the team is too busy for playing against any team. Playing at home, abroad or neutral venues are issues that are premature to discuss right now.”


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