Pakistan cricket tour of India cleared

Tweet

New Delhi, Oct 30: India’s home ministry Tuesday cleared the Pakistan cricket team’s tour to India for a short limited-overs series in the country, including Gujarat capital Ahmedabad, from Dec 25 to the first week of January next year.

It also agreed to ensure security for the visiting team, according to officials.

The series would comprise three one-day internationals and two Twenty20s. The ODIs are likely to be played at Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi and the Twenty20s in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

The approval for the visit came after a delegation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met Home Secretary R.K. Singh here.

BCCI senior official and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla told reporters that the board discussed with the home secretary about security and logistical issues.

“We have discussed all security aspects. The tour is on,” Shukla said.

Apart from the security issues, the home ministry also gives visa clearance to Pakistani citizens wanting to visit India to watch the matches.

India in July decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan and had invited them for a short series, to be played in the period intervening the Tests and ODIs against England.

The cricketing ties had snapped after the 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai by Pakistani nationals. The two countries last played a bilateral series in 2007 when Pakistan toured India.

However, during the World Cup semi-final in Mohali in February 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited his then Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani and the two leaders had watched the high-profile match that India won.

IANS