ICC wants the India-Pakistan series to resume: Pawar
Posted by Ashok in cricket, india
Soon after taking over as president of the International Cricket Council on Thursday, Sharad Pawar declared that he will push for the resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral series.
"Recent Home minister and Foreign secretary's visit to Pakistan is a welcome sign. If India and Pakistan start playing and it influences the bilateral relations of the two countries, and also if both the governments permit, we will be happy to encourage," Pawar told CNN-IBN.
The former Board of Control for Cricket in India president, who is also a serving Union minister in the Indian government, began a two-year term as ICC chief after taking over from David Morgan.
The 69-year-old Pawar expressed hope that the process to improve relations between the two neighbouring countries will help foster cricketing ties too.
"ICC wants India and Pakistan to continue their bilateral series. But ICC had not taken the initiative to stop that. It was because of some unforeseen circumstances that both the countries had decided to stop it. But now that the process to improve relations between the countries is on, it will give some dividends to cricket too," Pawar added.
Cricketing ties between India and Pakistan disconnected after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008.
Read the transcript of the interview:
You are becoming ICC president at a time when some say the cricketing world is divided. Cricket Australia is angry that their candidate for vice-presidentship, former Prime Minister John Howard, is not there. Are you worried that you are facing a divided ICC?
I'm not worried because it's a democratic organization. According to ICC constitution, if any four members oppose any proposal, that cannot be passed. That's why we have requested Australia and New Zealand to give a second thought and come out with a new proposal.
