The Home Ministry cleared the decks for a short tour by the Pakistan cricket team in what will be the first bilateral series between the two nations in five years.
Following Tuesday’s meeting between the ministry officials and the Indian cricket board’s representatives, Pakistan’s tour of India for three ODIs and two T20s, one of which is scheduled in Bengaluru, in Dec-Jan, has been given the green signal.
“We have discussed all security aspects (and) the tour is on,” Board of Control for Cricket in India CAO Rajiv Shukla told reporters after a meeting between its officials and Indian Home Secretary R. K. Singh.
The likely venues for the 3 ODIs are Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi with Ahmedabad hosting one other T20.
India and Pakistan have not played a series since the latter’s tour in 2007 after cricket ties were cut following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
Though Pakistan travelled to Mohali last year to play in the World Cup semi-final which India won, India has skirted the issue of a bilateral series until now. The Mohali match was witnessed by both Manmohan Singh and the then Pak PM Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Cricket ties have been the subject of discussions between the governments of both the countries and they have been holding regular meetings in a bid to improve relations and thrash out a peace agreement.