BackIndia, Pakistan to resume cricket ties
India and Pakistan will play three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games, BCCI spokesman Rajiv Shukla said
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New Delhi: Signalling a thaw in sporting links ruptured by the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, cricket teams of India and Pakistan seem set to resume playing each other in a bilateral series after a gap of five years.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a Twitter post that its working committee had decided at its meeting on Monday “to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan, by inviting them for a short series in Dec 2012-Jan 2013". The series will be held when England, which are due to tour India later this year, return home briefly for Christmas and New Year.
Both sides will play three one-day internationals in Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi and two Twenty20 games in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, BCCI spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters in New Delhi.
The move is also indicative of the lessening of tensions between the two countries, sparked by the 26-29 November Mumbai terror attack in 2008 in which 166 people were killed. India blames the attacks on Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and has been pressing Pakistan to bring the plotters of the attack to justice.
The two countries have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007, though they have played each other at neutral venues or at multinational events like the 2011 Cricket World Cup in India. India defeated Pakistan in the semi-final encounter in Mohali last March.
A person familiar with the developments said India had raised its concerns regarding the security of the Indian cricket team in the event of the team visiting Pakistan. The Indian team is supposed to tour Pakistan next as the Pakistani team toured India in 2007, the person said.
While taking on board India’s concerns about security, the Pakistani foreign secretary and his delegation suggested the Pakistani team could tour India if the issue of sharing of revenue from television rights was sorted out, the person said. This seems to have been ironed out with India announcing the dates for the Pakistani cricket team’s visit, another person familiar with the developments said. “India will provide adequate security to ensure the Pakistani cricket team is secure," the second person said. Both requested anonymity.
A home ministry official said the ministry was unaware of the BCCI decision. “They have not approached us yet for any security clearances. We will take a view once they approach us," said the official, who added that the government will provide adequate security if the matches are held. He too declined to be named.
The Pakistan Cricket Board welcomed the proposed series, AFP reported, though former India captain Sunil Gavaskar criticized the decision saying Pakistan was still not cooperating in the Mumbai attacks probe. However, fellow former skipper Bishan Bedi welcomed the revival. “It is a step in the right direction," he told PTI. “The amount of interest and goodwill it will generate will be huge."
According to media buyer estimates, such a high-voltage encounter which will have an audience not just in the subcontinent but also beyond, and garner about ₹ 100 crore in advertising revenue. “This is an attractive opportunity for advertisers to latch on to, especially because both the teams will be playing against each other after a long time. Cricket has proved to be a very effective launch vehicle for brands in the past as well," said C.V.L. Srinivas, chairman, Starcom Mediavest Group India.
Rahul Thappa, managing partner at Mindshare, predicted that telcos, beverage companies and handset manufacturers would be big spenders for such a series.
elizabeth.r@livemint.com
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