‘Not in Rameez’s hands, nor mine’: Ganguly on resumption of IND-PAK series

For the past many years, the cricket matches between India and Pakistan are confined to continental (Asia Cup) and global (ICC) tournaments. The last time both sides met in a bilateral series was in 2012-13, when the arch-rivals played a three-match each ODI and T20I series in India.

Tense diplomatic relations between both nations have forced bilateral cricket to a halt between India and Pakistan. While multiple former cricketers have vouched for the resumption of bilateral series between both sides, former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly insisted that boards alone cannot come to a decision.

"This is not in the hands of the boards," said Ganguly during a book launch at the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair.

"At world tournaments, the two teams do play each other. Bilateral cricket has been stopped for years and this is something that the respective governments have to work on. This is not in Rameez's hands, nor mine," Ganguly said.

Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President Rameez Raja had said that he held talks with Ganguly. Raja had insisted that politics should be "kept away from sports."  

"I met with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines of the ACC meetings. We need to create a cricketing bond, while I have also believed that politics should stay away from sport as much as possible and this has always been our stance," said Raja.

During the event in Sharjah, Ganguly also shared a story from India's tour of Pakistan in 2004, when he broke the security protocols to try out the 'kebabs' in Lahore. The former Indian captain revealed that Pakistan's then-president Parvez Musharraf had reprimanded him.

"I got a call from (Pervez) Musharraf warning me that I could do whatever I wanted except breaking security protocols," the former India skipper recalled.