The Hindu : Indo-Pak ties back in cold storage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 13, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Indo-Pak ties back in cold storage

New Delhi June 12. The proposal for the resumption of cricket matches between India and Pakistan has now been put back in cold storage, a senior cricket board official said on Thursday.

``After those few days of excitement, there is a general despondency in the two camps as we seem to be heading nowhere,'' the official said on condition of anonymity.

The last two months saw a thaw in relations, which remained frozen for a long period, and a flurry of confidence building measures by both countries at political and economic levels leading to speculation about a resumption in bilateral cricketing ties.

The positive signals from the leaders of the two countries were quickly picked up by the two cricket boards, which met at neutral venues to chalk out tentative tour plans and issued encouraging statements.

``However, things are at a complete standstill at the moment. I would even say there is no prospect of a thaw in relations in the next few months,'' the official said.

According to reports, the Pakistan and Indian Cricket Boards had decided to hold a token one-day International on a return basis in the two countries in September, followed by a full-fledged series in Pakistan in February 2004 after India had returned from Australia.

``At the moment, I doubt if we could have any cricket between the two countries in September. But as it happens when it concerns Pakistan, we could be asked to get our act together at a short notice by the government. So we cannot afford to be lax and want to keep everything in place should we get positive signals from the government.''

The official also revealed that all those plans of famous Pakistan cricketers like Zaheer Abbas and Hanif Mohammad visiting India on a goodwill visit and impressing on the Indian government to resume cricketing ties is a `no-go at present.'

``Such a plan stands completely grounded at present. There is no plan of famous cricketers from Pakistan visiting us or our cricketers going to Pakistan on a goodwill mission.''

Unlike the BCCI, the PCB badly needs a resumption of bilateral ties because of its financial squeeze. Boycotts by India and the refusal of teams like Australia to tour Pakistan, following a bomb blast in Karachi when New Zealand paid a visit last year, has severely handicapped the PCB's operations. — PTI

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