The Indian government has made it clear on its position of sports relations with Pakistan, after agreeing to the clash in the 2019 Asia Cup. India will have to play Pakistan in multi countries but not in bilateral series, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said in its statement. It is also unclear to whether Indian sports people will feature in tournaments being conducted in Pakistan.
The clarification comes less than three weeks before the Asia Cup begins in the UAE, with the high-profile India-Pakistan match scheduled for September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
According to the schedule, assuming both clubs advance to the next round (Super Four and the final), there might be at least two additional encounters between them outside of the group-stage match. In the meantime, this would be India’s first encounter with Pakistan since the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed a number of people.
“In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India. With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events,” read the statement released by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Board of Cricket for Control in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board have agreed on a hybrid concept for the remaining ICC events in the 2024–27 cycle. According to the agreement, both nations will only perform at neutral locations. The 2025 Champions Trophy, where the Men in Blue played their matches, including the final, in the United Arab Emirates, was the first time this was seen.
