‘I was the first one after nine years to bring India-Pakistan together in 2006 with the Friendship Series. I was the one who brought Pakistani players into the IPL.’
IMAGE: India and Pakistan last played a Test series in 2007 when the visitors played three matches in Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points Ex-IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he doesn’t see India and Pakistan playing a bilateral series in the near future. Modi pointed out that politicisation of the Pakistan Cricket Board had made things worse. Modi said he had brought Pakistan players to feature in the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008.
Former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi said he doesn’t envisage India and Pakistan playing a bilateral Test series anytime soon because of the strained political relations between the two neighbours.
When asked by former England captain Michael Vaughan on his podcast whether it would be possible for India and Pakistan to play against in a bilateral Test series even in a neutral country like UK or Australia, Modi replied: “We don’t see eye to eye, so I don’t see an immediate solution.”
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Modi, who also served as the BCCI vice-president from 2005 to 2010, believes politicisation of the Pakistan Cricket Board had made things worse.
“The problem is if the Pakistan Cricket Board was independent and ran independently, if it wasn’t politically influenced, we would have some traction. But today the Pakistan Cricket Board is so politicised by the powers that be and they are pulling the levers and making it political. We have tension at that level, political level and that is not going away, it is only going to get worse.”
“So I fear for the players, I fear we are a very passionate and patriotic country and so are the Pakistanis. I fear that it may not be possible in the near future unfortunately because of the politicisation by the Pakistan Cricket Board, by the powers in Pakistan,” he added.
India and Pakistan last played a Test series in 2007 when the visitors played three matches in Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. India last visited Pakistan in 2006 for a three-match series which the hosts won 1-0 after their 341-run victory in the third and final Test in Karachi.
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Modi recalled how he had brought Pakistan players to feature in the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008 — the only season they have played in the T20 league. He also played a key role in getting Pakistan to travel to India for the Friendship Series in January-February 2006.
“I was the first one after nine years to bring India-Pakistan together in 2006 with the Friendship Series. I was the one who brought Pakistani players into the IPL and then I had to move them out after the 26/11 massacre in Mumbai (terrorist attacks in Mumbai),” he stated.
He also slammed Bangladesh for going against the BCCI by refusing to play their T20 World Cup games in India citing security reasons at the behest of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“You saw Bangladesh getting into it, they shouldn’t have, they should have stayed unaligned and played the game. India is the bread basket for cricket, it is going to have a reverse impact but that is the reality.”
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