Indian Government Clears Air on Sporting Ties with Pakistan
CricDiary: The Indian government has cleared the air on sporting engagements with Pakistan—bringing clarity ahead of two major upcoming events—the men’s Asia Cup in September and the women’s one-day international (ODI) World Cup in October.
The ministry of youth affairs and sports, in a statement, said that no bilateral series with Pakistan will take place neither in India nor in Pakistan. The door, however, remains open for multilateral tournaments. This means that fans can look forward to an India-Pakistan showdown in Dubai on 14 September during the Asia Cup.
This clarity comes less than three weeks before the tournament kicks off in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both countries are in the same group, setting up at least one high-voltage clash, and possibly up to three if they meet in the Super Four and the final. This will be the first time India and Pakistan lock horns since tensions escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
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The statement, while ensuring the country’s image as a top global host, says that India is committed to participate international events alongside Pakistan. Athletes from Pakistan will also be allowed to compete in multilateral events held in India. The ministry, however, was silent on Indian participation in events hosted in Pakistan.
India and Pakistan, for more than a decade, have avoided bilateral series. They last played one in 2012. Since then, their meetings have been limited to International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events like the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and Asia Cup. Even for the 2025 Champions Trophy, India opted out of traveling to Pakistan, with their matches staged in Dubai under a hybrid model agreed upon by both countries.
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