Cricket series with Pakistan BCCI's call: Krishna

With India deciding to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan after a hiatus, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said on Tuesday that the plan for a series of matches between the two neighbours was a call for the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to take.

"That is something the cricket control board of India will have to take a call on. The government can only be a facilitator. It cannot dictate to the cricket control board. It is their domain," Krishna told reporters on the sidelines of a book launch function in New Delhi.

He was responding to questions about the possible tour of the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for a series and the likely dates for the visit.

Cricket ties between the two countries were severed following the Mumbai terror attacks on Nov 26, 2008. The last cricket series between India and Pakistan was held in 2007-08, when the Pakistani team had visited India.

India had in principle decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan early this month. The move came against the backdrop of the successful 'cricket diplomacy' adopted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he watched India and Pakistan take on each other in the cricket World Cup semifinal match in Mohali March 30 this year along with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.