PM Modi extends greetings on occasion of Bhai Dooj
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hoped that the festival will bring immense happiness in everyone's life.
Sourav Ganguly, who is all set to become the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, on Thursday, talked about the possibility of resuming the bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan.
Speaking on the subject, the BCCI president-elect said the idea would need approval from the Prime Minister of both the countries. “You have to ask that question to Modi ji and the Pakistan Prime Minister. 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,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI during a press briefing in Kolkata.
Sporting relationship between the two neighbouring nations has grown bitter over the year owing to the political tension. The last time two countries featured in a bilateral cricket series was in 2012 when India hosted Pakistan for a limited-overs series of two Twenty-20 Internationals (T20Is) and One Day Internationals (ODIs).
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However, the bilateral tie worsened after the Pulwama attack earlier this year and the abrogation of Article 370 in August. Post the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama, BCCI reacted strongly and indirectly asked ICC to cut ties with Pakistan. The Indian governing body had asked its international counterpart “to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates”.
The letter was sent at the behest of three members of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), who were tasked with supervising the affairs of BCCI till fresh elections. The CoA had also asked ICC to boycott Pakistan from the World Cup.
Interestingly, Ganguly was the captain in 2004 when the Indian team travelled to Pakistan for the first time after the Kargil War in 1999. Before that tour, the Men in Blue last visited the neighbouring nation in 1989.
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