KOLKATTA: Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Sunday ruled out a bilateral series between India and Pakistan saying “cricket and terrorism can’t go hand-in-hand.”
His remarks came ahead of a meeting between Pakistani and Indian Cricket Board officials being held today in Dubai.
Chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan, Chairman Pakistan Super League Najam Sethi, Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed, and BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary will attend the meeting.
According to the ICC Future Tours Programme, the Indian cricket team is scheduled to play Pakistan in a bilateral series later this year. BCCI and PCB had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.
Earlier this month, the PCB had sent a notice of dispute to the Indian board, claiming losses for the BCCI’s refusal to tour in 2015.
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was played in 2012-13. It was a limited overs series featuring two T20Is and three ODIs in India. The T20 series was drawn and Pakistan won the ODIs 2-1.
India and Pakistan will face off in the ICC Champions Trophy in UK next month. Both teams are in the same group and clash at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 4.