Kolkata: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president-elect Sourav Ganguly made it clear that any talk regarding India-Pakistan bilateral series would be done through the diplomatic channel, and it is subject to approval from India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan.
As with other former BCCI presidents, Ganguly too has to confront a question regarding the resumption of India vs Pakistan bilateral ties during a media briefing in the 'City of Joy'.
"You have to ask that question to Modi ji and the Pakistan Prime Minister," Ganguly said.
"Of course we have (to take permission), because international exposure (tours) is all through governments. So we don't have an answer to that question," the former India captain added.
The last time Pakistan and India played a bilateral series was in 2012 in India. The last time both neighbours featured in a bilateral series was in 2012, when India hosted Pakistan for a limited-overs series comprising two T20Is and three ODIs.The 47-year-old Ganguly, who will take charge as BCCI's next president on October 23, had led India on the historic tour of Pakistan in 2004, the first bilateral series since the Kargil war in 1999 and India's first visit to Pakistan since 1989.Reacting strongly to the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, the BCCI, in what seemed to be a reference to Pakistan, had asked the ICC "to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates".The letter was sent at the behest of the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), tasked with supervising the affairs of the Board till fresh elections were held.The CoA had also mulled over asking the ICC to ban Pakistan from the World Cup.
