Former cricketers of Pakistan and Indian have appreciated move of the revival of cricket ties between the two countries and also expressed their desire to see BCCI president Srinavasin to visit Pakistan to further improve relations between two countries.
Foreign Minister, SM Krishna on Friday welcomed the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host a bilateral series with Pakistan in December later this year. The Pakistan cricket team will visit India for a short tour in December. The bilateral series, the first for five years, will consist of three one-day and two Twenty20 matches. Speaking to mediapersons in Bangalore, Krishna said that this series would strengthen the already improving relations with Pakistan. Commenting on the killing of Indian fisherman after firing from a US Navy ship off Jebel Ali port near Dubai, Krishna said that the government had already taken the necessary steps in the matter.
“I will be visiting Islamabad in the secon week of September,” he said. Some former cricketer added that other Indian government and board officials should also visit Pakistan to improve the relations between the two countries. The ODI series, the first after five years, will consist of three one-day and two Twenty20 matches.
The ODIs will be played at Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi while the venues for the two T20 games will be Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
The last match to be played between them was the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, which was watched by Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh along with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.
The sporting ties between the neighbours had snapped after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Enthused by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informing him about the Indo-Pak Cricket series during the year-end, Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said that he was visiting Pakistan in the second week of September to continue the bilateral dialogue with his Pakistan counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar.
Report coming from across the border said that Krishna believed that the readiness of the two countries to resume cricket ties after five years was a good sign in bilateral relations.
Krishna, who is a Rajya Sabha Member, said that he had met Ms. Khar and held discussions with her on various issues of mutual interest. About India’s relations with China, Mr. Krishna said that the countries were maintaining good relations.
On the firing by American Navy personnel on Indian fishermen in the international waters of United Arab Emirates killing one person, the Minister said that he was expecting a report about the incident and he would react only after receiving it.
