No Talks On India-Pakistan Cricket Series Took Place During Jaishankar's Visit To Islamabad: Sources

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit did not include any talks regarding the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between the two neighbours.

Jaishankar on Wednesday attended the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, marking the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Pakistan since 2012. Sources said the focus remained on the SCO agenda, with no bilateral talks on cricket. However, there was no official confirmation from the MEA on the issue.

India has not toured Pakistan Since…

Both sides have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012-13, with tensions following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks leading to a freeze in sporting relations. While the two nations have faced each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, India has not toured Pakistan for any cricketing event since the 2008 Asia Cup.

The future of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, remains uncertain amid this diplomatic stalemate between India and Pakistan. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently weighing three potential solutions to address the logistical challenges surrounding the 2023 Asia Cup, according to ANI. The primary concern stems from the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, making Pakistan’s role as the sole host country contentious.

Other Options

One option under consideration is to retain Pakistan as the primary host while implementing a hybrid model. This would see matches involving India being held in a neutral venue, potentially the UAE, which has successfully hosted ICC tournaments in the past. The crucial knockout stage of the tournament could also be shifted to the UAE under this model.

Alternatively, the ICC is exploring the possibility of relocating the entire tournament to a different country. Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the UAE have emerged as potential alternative hosts. Pakistan last hosted a major ICC event in 1996, sharing the ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. The country was stripped of its co-hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.