Indo-Pak series in doubt due to political tensions

KARACHI: Pakistan’s cricket authorities have long been claiming that they are close to reviving cricketing ties with India.
But the goal remains as elusive as ever with a top Indian cricket board (BCCI) official making it clear that his country won’t resume cricketing ties with Pakistan till the time political relations between the two neigbours are stable.
Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, was quoted as saying by Cricinfo that any bilateral series between India and Pakistan was unlikely until the political relationship between the two countries become normal.
Thakur’s comments came as a reaction soon after a gunfight in the Gurdaspur district in Punjab — close to India’s border with Pakistan — led to several civilian casualties. Though security agencies in India were yet to determine who was responsible for the attack, Thakur, who is also a Member of Parliament from India’s ruling BJP, cited the incident as an example of why he believed the time was not right for a cricket series with Pakistan.
“Even today there is a terrorist attack, in Gurdaspur. On one hand there is a rise in terrorist activity from Pakistan, on the other you can’t expect to play a cricket series with Pakistan,” Thakur told Cricinfo.
“For me the safety and security of my countrymen is more important than a cricket series. This is not the way to go ahead. I was never against the dialogue process. At the same time, if you do not have good relations, you can’t have good cricket.”
Last month the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, while visiting India, had said Pakistan had a “Plan B” should the series not go ahead.
“We know there is always such a possibility when it comes to Indo-Pak relations but we think the situation will be clear in two months time,” Shaharyar had said. “We have a plan B in case the series (against India) cannot be held but I can’t share the details of that now. If such a situation is created we can call alternative teams.”
India have not played a bilateral Test series against Pakistan since 2007, though they did host them for two T20Is and three ODIs between December 2012 and January 2013.
Sources in the PCB told ‘The News’ that Pakistan will continue to find ways and means to revive bilateral cricketing ties with India.
“Bilateral games against India on a regular basis are really important for the Board because they generate much-needed funds,” a source said.
However, another source said that the Board is well aware that chances of a ‘home’ series against India in the near future look pretty remote.
“The Board will have to find alternate arrangements because the Indians are unlikely to agree and play a home series against Pakistan any time soon,” he said.