ICC Chairman Greg Barclay says no mandate to influence bilateral ties between India, Pakistan

Commenting on the future prospects of cricket between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Greg Barclay, has shared that the international forum doesn't have the mandate to influence bilateral ties between the two countries.

Barclay has been serving as a New Zealand representative on ICC before taking over as chairman. 

The ICC official has also seen the constant differences between BBCI and PCB closely and stands in a relevant position to comment on the matter.

"I would love nothing more than to see India and Pakistan continuing with their cricket relations like previously. I am also enough of a realist to understand that there are geopolitical issues at play here,"  Barclay was quoted by ANI.

He said that all the board can do is to bring about outcomes that would see India and Pakistan in a position where they can play cricket regularly against each other and in their territories.

"Beyond that, I do not think I have a mandate or ability to influence the outcomes more than that. That is really done at a level way beyond where we could be operating," Barclay explained.

Saying that few things are beyond cricket, he stressed that the governing body will be looking out for the best to continue the cricketing relations between the two countries.

Ever since tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the BJP government rose to power in the country, NewDelhi has shied away from playing a bilateral series against Pakistan.

The move has made it so that now, the two Asian cricket giants only face off against each other in ICC events like the Champions Trophy, the World Cup, or the Asia Cup.