India haven't played Pakistan in bilateral cricket since a home limited-overs series in 2012, with their last meeting in Tests dating back to 2007. In this period, they've only clashed in multi-nation tournaments such as the World Cup and the Asia Cup.
However, India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday (May 6) called for a complete halt to cricketing ties with Pakistan, including Asia Cup and ICC events.
Gambhir’s verdict came amidst the ongoing cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, has claimed responsibility of the dastardly attack, which took the lives of 26 tourists on April 22.
"My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (cross-border terrorism) doesn't stop there should not be anything between India and Pakistan," said Gambhir when asked about the future of Indo-Pak cricket in the current environment.
"Ultimately this is government's call whether we play them or not. I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens," he added.
"Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform but nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family."
Asked specifically about India playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup later this year or the T20 World Cup 2026, Gambhir placed the onus on the BCCI and the government.
"This is not up to me, this is for BCCI and more importantly the government to decide whether we should play them or not. Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicise it," Gambhir remarked.
Earlier this year, the BCCI had refused to send its team across the border for the ICC Champions Trophy after not getting an approval from the Indian government. As a result, all of India’s matches were held in Dubai and they won the marquee event without losing a match.
A hybrid model was agreed upon that allowed India to play their matches in Dubai. Apart from the Champions Trophy, the hybrid model was also adopted for global events in India till 2027, which means Pakistan will also be able to play matches at a neutral venue.
(With PTI Inputs)
