Pakistan Government Gags PCB on Cricket Ties With India

Pakistan government has restrained its Cricket Board from initiating any dialogue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the issue of a long-pending bilateral series, which has been scuttled repeatedly on account of volatile political ties between the two nations.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan said until the government gave fresh directions, the PCB had given up on talking to the Indian board on resumption of bilateral cricket ties in the near future.

"The government has made it clear to us that we are not supposed to engage in any dialogue with our Indian counterparts nor give any statements on Indo-Pak cricket ties until further orders," Khan said.

The career diplomat said this was the reason why the PCB had avoided any discussions with the BCCI officials at the recent ICC meetings.

Khan, however, said the election of Anurag Thakur as the new chairman of the BCCI was a positive development for future Indo-Pak talks.

"Thakur, to me, represents both the BCCI and their government so it will be easier talking to one person when the time comes," he said.

Thakur holds an important position in the ruling BJP and is an elected member of the parliament.

Khan said Pakistan cricket had suffered lot of revenue loss after the BCCI backed out of playing a bilateral series even at any neutral venue in January.

"We did all we could to convince them to resume bilateral ties but they didn't respond in the same manner so now even our government has said put a lid on further discussions," Khan said.

India have not played a full bilateral series with Pakistan since the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 although Pakistan did tour India in the winter of 2012/13 for a short goodwill tour.