Bharatiya Janta Party President Amit Shah on Saturday said India cannot stop playing Pakistan at international cricket tournaments, but made it clear that the two countries will not play each other in either India or Pakistan, reported Financial Express. Shah was asked to give his views on the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy final, which will take place in London on Sunday. “Should India stop playing at international cricket tournaments now?” Shah asked.
Earlier this month, Sports Minister Vijay Goel had said India cannot have a bilateral cricket series with Pakistan as it had crossed the line by “sponsoring terrorism” in the country. “For everything there is a Lakshmana Rekha. But when the line is crossed then a message has to be given. This (boycott) is a message,” he had said, defending the policy not to have bilateral cricket series with Pakistan.
“We have clearly stated terrorism and sports cannot go side-by-side. As long as Pakistan doesn’t stop cross border terror and (instigating) trouble in Kashmir..Then there is no chance for bilateral series and also the national mood doesn’t support it,” Goel had said.
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was played in 2012-’13, when Pakistan had made a short goodwill tour to India to play three One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India and Pakistan Cricket Board had met in Dubai on May 30 to discuss bilateral cricketing ties between the two countries. However, the meeting did not yield any decisive outcome.
The BCCI, represented by joint secretary Amitabh Choudhary along with CEO Rahul Johri and GM (Cricket Operations) MV Sridhar, had discussed the pressing issues including the $60 million compensation demanded by the PCB.
Goel had criticised the meeting between the two cricket boards, saying there was no need for the Indian board officials to meet their Pakistani counterparts when they knew that bilateral cricketing ties were subject to clearance from the government.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had sent a legal notice to BCCI claiming damages of $60 million (Rs 387 crore approx) for allegedly not honouring the MoU that had stated five bilateral series in the cycle between 2015-2023.
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