No India-Pakistan series until border issues resolved: Indian Sports Minister

New Delhi: Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has expressed that the resumption of cricket series between Pakistan and India is improbable until the longstanding border issues are resolved.

Bilateral cricket relations between the two neighboring countries have remained suspended for several years due to diplomatic tensions.

Presently, the two teams only face off in matches sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cup.

Thakur, the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), disclosed in a recent interview with Indian media, "The BCCI had decided long ago that bilateral matches with Pakistan would not occur until the border relations are normalized. They do not align well."

He further stated, "I believe this sentiment is shared by every common citizen of our country."

It is worth noting that in a recent Asia Cup match, India defeated Pakistan by a significant margin of 228 runs.

Following this defeat, Pakistan faced another loss to Sri Lanka in the same tournament, leading to the national team's elimination from the Asia Cup.

The final match of the Asia Cup ODI 2023 is scheduled to take place tomorrow, September 17, in Colombo, with India facing off against Sri Lanka.