'Inaccurate...': Centre on cricket coming up during Jaishankar's Pakistan visit
The Centre has dismissed reports that cricket was a topic of discussion between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan's Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, "the reports are not accurate." MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said no bilateral meeting occurred during the SCO summit—except with Mongolia—and added, "No pull-aside meeting took place either." He said that "general talks happened during dinner, nothing else." Jaishankar and Dar reportedly sat next to each other during lunch.
Why does this story matter?
Reports previously suggested that Jaishankar and Dar discussed the possibility of an India-Pakistan cricket match during their interaction. The two nations have not played a bilateral series since 2012, when Pakistan visited India for a T20I and ODI series. Tensions following the 2008 Mumbai attacks have prevented India from playing in Pakistan—despite Pakistan making three tours to India since then. Security concerns continue to keep India from sending its team to Pakistan for matches, particularly after the 2008 Asia Cup.
Pakistan pushing for India to participate in ICC Champions Trophy
India and Pakistan have faced each other in ICC tournaments, both at home and abroad, but Pakistan is pushing for India to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy, which Pakistan will host next February. Top officials from the England and Wales Cricket Board recently told the Pakistan Cricket Board that holding the tournament without India would be "meaningless" as it would severely impact the ICC's revenue. Pakistan is hoping for India's participation to ensure the success of the event.
Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan
Jaishankar visited Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government meeting—marking the first trip by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan since 2015. While he met with PM Sharif at the multilateral event no bilateral talks were held between India and Pakistan. Jaishankar made it clear that India-Pakistan relations wouldn't be part of his agenda for the SCO summit. During the summit, he sent a pointed message—stressing that trade cooperation cannot thrive if cross-border activities continue to involve terrorism.
