International Cricket Council (ICC) doesn’t have the mandate or powers to influence bilateral ties between India and Pakistan indicates Greg Barclay. However, the new ICC chairman also asserted that from a cricketing point of view he will continue to support both BCCI and PCB and will love to see both nations playing cricket against each other in their respective countries.

In the last decade, the two arch-rivals just played one bilateral series which was a small white ball series. Since then both India and Pakistan have only played against each other in ICC events and Asia cup. The Indian government hasn’t permitted the BCCI to play against Pakistan as they have made it crystal clear that that activities that harm the interest of the country must end before cricket can resume again.

ICC doesn’t dave the mandate to influence India-Pakistan cricket series- Greg Barclay

“I would love nothing more than for India and Pakistan to be able to continue cricketing relations as they were previously. I am also enough of a realist to understand that there are geopolitical issues at play here. I think all we can do at the ICC is to continue to help and support in any way that we can to bring about outcomes that would see India and Pakistan in a position where they can play cricket regularly against each other and in their home territories”, Barclay said.

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“Beyond that, I do not think I have the mandate or ability to influence the outcomes more than that. That is really being done at a level way beyond where we would be operating. Rest assured that from the cricketing point of view, we would love to get those countries back together again on a regular basis. The ICC will do whatever it can to help facilitate and support an outcome that might see that happen”, the ICC chairman said while answering a doubt on the relationship between BCCI and PCB.

Meanwhile, fans are certainly missing out on the cricketing action between India- Pakistan but somethings are just beyond cricket. The two can nations can resume playing bilateral series only when the Indian government approves. In 2012, Pakistan toured India for 2 T20Is and 3 ODI matches.

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