No Talks on India-Pakistan Cricket Ties During Jaishankar’s Visit to Islamabad
During a recent visit to Islamabad by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, no discussions were held about resuming cricket matches between India and Pakistan. Jaishankar was in Pakistan for the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. Since the 2008 Asia Cup, India has not played in Pakistan due to strained relations over terrorism issues. The last bilateral series was held in India from December 2012 to January 2013. Since then, the two countries have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. Pakistan has visited India three times since the 2008 Asia Cup.
With Pakistan set to host the ICC Champions Trophy next year, it is uncertain if India will participate. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering three options for hosting the event: holding it in Pakistan as planned, using a hybrid model with matches in both Pakistan and the UAE, or moving the entire tournament to another country like Dubai, Sri Lanka, or South Africa. Pakistan has not hosted a major ICC event since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan lost its hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup after a terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in 2009.
Doubts Revealed
Jaishankar -: S Jaishankar is the current Minister of External Affairs of India. He is responsible for managing India’s foreign relations with other countries.
Islamabad -: Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. It is where many important government buildings and offices are located.
SCO -: SCO stands for Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is a group of countries that work together on political, economic, and security issues. India and Pakistan are both members of this group.
ICC -: ICC stands for International Cricket Council. It is the global governing body for the sport of cricket, responsible for organizing major international cricket tournaments.
Champions Trophy -: The Champions Trophy is a major international cricket tournament organized by the ICC. It features the top cricket teams from around the world competing against each other.
Hybrid model -: A hybrid model in this context means hosting the cricket event in two different locations. For example, some matches could be played in Pakistan and others in the UAE.