No Indo-Pak ties in the near future

The BCCI today ruled out immediate resumption of bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan but promised to take up the issue next year, provided they get the go-ahead from the government.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt met his Indian counterpart Shashank Manohar on the sidelines of the fourth India-Australia ODI here and sought resumption of cricketing ties that was snapped in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks last year.

Manohar told Butt that the BCCI has to seek government's go-ahead before committing anything and the Indian team's calendar is also too crammed to squeeze in an Indo-Pak series, Board spokesman Rajiv Shukla said.

"Mr Butt sought resumption of the bilateral series but Mr Manohar told him that the Indian team has a choc-a-bloc calendar in the next seven-eight months. We are playing Australia now, then comes Sri Lanka and after that we have Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. There is simply no space (for a bilateral series)," Shukla said.

"Mr Manohar told him that after 7-8 months, we would resume talks. Meanwhile, we have to seek the government's points of view as well", he said.

"We have to keep that in mind and conditions also have to be conducive between the two countries in terms of diplomatic relations," Shukla said.

Asked if they discussed the possibility of having bilateral series in neutral venues -- an idea mooted by Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor -- Shukla said, "right now, the team is too busy for playing against any team. Playing at home, abroad or neutral venue are issues that are premature to discuss right now," he said.