No Pak-India matches until political matters resolved, says Indian sports minister

NEW DELHI: Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said that his country will not engage in any bilateral cricket matches with Pakistan until the border issues are resolved

The decision aligns with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) previous resolution to not resume cricketing relations with Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters in Udaipur, Thakur, a former BCCI president, emphasized that the BCCI had made this decision long ago and would not consider resuming cricket ties with Pakistan until the political matters are settled.

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Bilateral cricket series between the two nations have been on hold since 2012-13, with encounters limited to ICC events and the Asia Cup. India’s last tour of Pakistan for a bilateral series took place in 2006.

In August, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced India’s decision to skip the Asia Cup 2023, initially scheduled to be held in Pakistan, citing political tensions. In response, Pakistan threatened to withdraw from the ICC Men’s World Cup, set to take place next month in India. The Asia Cup is currently being conducted in a hybrid format, with some matches held in Pakistan and the remaining fixtures in Sri Lanka, where India has played all its matches thus far.