Indian minister dismisses Pak-India bilateral series till resolution of border issues

Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has ended all hopes of a bilateral series between India and Pakistan, emphasising that any such event hinges on resolving border issues among the neighbouring countries. Cricketing ties between the two arch-rivals have remained suspended in the wake of ongoing diplomatic tensions, restricting their encounters to fixtures backed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Thakur, the former head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressed his views in an interview with Indian media, sharing the BCCI had already made a firm decision in the past not to engage in bilateral matches with Pakistan until border relations stabilise.

Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has dashed hopes of a bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan, stating that such an event depends on resolving border issues between the two neighboring countries.

Cricketing matches between India and Pakistan have been suspended due to ongoing diplomatic tensions, limiting their encounters to fixtures organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Thakur, the former head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressed these sentiments in an interview with Indian media. He mentioned that the BCCI had previously made a strong decision not to engage in bilateral matches with Pakistan until border relations stabilize.

"I understand that this is the sentiment of every ordinary citizen of the country," he added.

It's worth noting that Pakistan recently lost a crucial Asia Cup match against India by a significant margin of 228 runs. Subsequently, Pakistan faced another defeat against Sri Lanka in the same tournament, ending their hopes of reaching the finals during a thrilling last over on Thursday.

Meanwhile, India has overtaken Pakistan in the ICC ODI team rankings due to their impressive performance in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Pakistan, previously ranked number one, has now slipped to number three in the rankings, while India has risen to the number two spot.

India is ranked second with 116 ratings and 4,516 points, whereas Pakistan is ranked third with 115 ratings and 3,102 points.

As a result of these developments, the final match of the Asia Cup 2023 will feature India facing Sri Lanka on September 17 in Colombo.