Pakistan High Commissioner: Cricket between India and Pakistan will strengthen relations

Pakistan High Commissioner: Cricket between India and Pakistan will strengthen relations

Lucknow: Resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan will help create healthy relations, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit said on Monday.

“There are many intangibles, whose benefits are not seen immediately. Sporting contact will strengthen ties and will create healthy relations, make good atmosphere,” Basit told reporters here.

The two countries have agreed to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Shaharyar Khan on Sunday saying that Pakistan was ready to host a series in the UAE in December. India and Pakistan cricket board chiefs met in Kolkata on Sunday and said the series would likely comprise three Tests, five one-day internationals and two T-20 games.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Chief Jagmohan Dalmiya on Sunday sounded hopeful about resumption of cricketing ties but put the ball in the government’s court. “We are hopeful of reviving the series. Only few things need to be sorted out and obviously without common support we cannot go forward. Without the support of the home ministry and government we can’t do anything,” he had said.

Since 2007, India has not played a proper bilateral Test series with Pakistan due to political and other reasons, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. India suspended all series with Pakistan after the terrorist attacks. The two countries played one short series of three ODIs and two T20 matches in India in December 2012 but otherwise they have met only in ICC organised events or the Asia Cup.