Sourav Ganguly Says India-Pakistan Bilateral Cricket Needs Approval From Prime Ministers Of Both Countries

Sourav Ganguly is set to become the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and has some plans ready before he takes charge of the Indian cricket on October 23. The BCCI president-elect on Thursday spoke on the possibility of the resumption of India-Pakistan bilateral ties, saying the idea needs an approval from Prime Minister of both the countries. "You have to ask that question to Modi ji and the Pakistan Prime Minister," Sourav Ganguly said during a media briefing in Kolkata. "Of course we have (to take permission), because international exposure (tours) is all through governments. So we don't have an answer to that question," he added.

The two countries last featured in a bilateral series in 2012, when India hosted Pakistan for a limited-overs series comprising two T20 Internationals and three One-day Internationals.

Ganguly had led India on the historic tour of Pakistan in 2004, the first bilateral series since the Kargil war in 1999 and India's first visit to Pakistan since 1989.

In the wake of the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, the BCCI, in what seemed to be a reference to Pakistan, had asked the ICC "to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates".

The letter was sent at the behest of the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), tasked with supervising the affairs of the board till fresh elections were held.

The CoA had also mulled over asking the ICC to boycott Pakistan from the World Cup.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket BCCI Sourav Ganguly India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team