Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny and vice-president Rajeev Shukla reached Lahore on Monday after crossing the Attari-Wagah border.
This is the first time a BCCI office-bearer has visited Pakistan since the Asia Cup of 2008 that was played in Lahore and Karachi. India lost to Sri Lanka in the final at Karachi’s National Stadium.
Binny and Shukla are there on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s invitation to watch a couple of Asia Cup Super Four matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.
While Shukla urged people “not to mix politics with cricket”, PCB boss Zaka Ashraf hoped that the acceptance of invitation by the BCCI was a welcome step towards improving the relations between the two cricket boards.
PCB management committee head Ashraf received the BCCI brass at the Wagah border and took them to Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan last hosted India for a bilateral series in 2006. Their cricket team last visited India for a bilateral white-ball series in 2012.
The BCCI had refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which led to a ‘hybrid model’ arrangement.
“Pakistan is the host of the Asia Cup. The visit by this delegation is purely cricketing and there is no politics involved... The governor of Punjab is hosting us for dinner and all three teams — Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan — will be present. We shouldn’t mix cricket with politics,” Shukla said.
Shukla, who has been with the BCCI for more than two decades, was a part of the BCCI delegation that visited Pakistan for the historic ‘Friendship Series’ back in 2004.
Asked about resumption of bilateral cricketing contests, the Rajya Sabha MP said: “The decision with regards to bilateral series is taken by the Indian government and we would follow whatever the government suggests.”
PCB’s Ashraf conducted an impromptu news conference with Binny and Shukla by his side.
“I thank both Mr Binny and Mr Shukla from the core of my heart for accepting our invitation. We invited and they responded and if they reciprocate by inviting us to their country, we will also accept it with all warmth. Inshallah, we will grow together,” Ashraf said.
Binny recollected his last visit to Pakistan which was more than 16 years ago when he was a part of the Asian Cricket Council. “My last visit to Pakistan was in 2006 when I was a part of the Asian Cricket Council. Pakistan’s hospitality has been very, very good and we were treated very well,” said Binny.
With PTI inputs
