Politics is the main reason behind lack of India-Pakistan bilateral series: Shahryar Khan

The most exciting and intense rivalry between the arch-rivals, India and Pakistan has suddenly been a thing of past, especially on the cricket field. For a fact, the two cricketing nations last faced each other in a bilateral series in 2012, which is a long time and since then the relations between the two countries have changed drastically. Which is why former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shahryar Khan also feels that the chances of a possible bilateral series between India and Pakistan look almost bleak in the near future.

Recently, the BCCI announced that they wouldn’t play Pakistan in the newly introduced World Test Championship starting in 2019. They continue to ignore the resumption of cricketing ties with the neighboring country. Although the cricketing world has nothing to do with this matter, as the relations in the outside world are the main reason for the absence of India-Pakistan matches.

Politics is the root of the cause

Former PCB chief believes that the political relations involving the governments of both the two sub-continental nations has been the actual reason behind the non-resumption of cricketing ties. BCCI has also failed every time they approached the Indian government for a clearance in this matter. Khan revealed that he does not see the teams meeting each other on the field in the near future.

“The real reason behind the absence of India and Pakistan bilateral series is political and has nothing to do with either the PCB or the BCCI. In the current political climate, I really do not see any way in the near future that both teams will be able to play each other,” said Shahryar Khan as quoted by Hindustan Times.

BCCI is also not wrong on their part

He also stated that Pakistan team and PCB have always been ready to play India in a bilateral series but the Indian government have been the barrier in the past few years. The former PCB head also mentioned that the relationship of the two boards has never been a thing of worry in the past nor in present, but the politics is the real reason behind all this.

“The fact of the matter is that we have always been willing to play India anywhere but it’s been the Government of India who have forced the BCCI to refuse to play us and there is not much we can do about that. The relations between the two boards have never been a problem. I will say it again, it’s the Government of India and their insistence on the improvement of the political climate which is the main hurdle between the two sides,” he concluded.