The delegation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), led by Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, and BCCI President Roger Binny’s presence in Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 cricket competition is a significant development.
They entered Pakistan over the Wagah Border and stayed there for two days. Upon their return to India, Board Vice President Rajeev Shukla said that cricket could be the bridge between the two countries that share a tense diplomatic relationship.
BCCI President Roger Binny could not stop gushing about the warm and friendly treatment they received in Pakistan during their short visit.
On Wednesday, Binny and Shukla crossed back into India via the Attari-Wagah border after visiting Pakistan to witness Asia Cup matches at the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The trip to Pakistan by the two BCCI officials marked the first time that had happened in 17 years. As of Monday, they were safely across the border.
“Our conference in Pakistan went extremely well. Our hospitality was superb. We were nicely taken care of by them. The primary objective was to watch cricket and chat”. Upon returning home, Binny told about how enjoyable their trip had been.
He further said, “Pakistan treated us very well, they went out of their way to make us comfortable.” Due to diplomatic tensions, bilateral cricket connections have been terminated, and the two countries now only play each other in ICC or ACC tournaments.
The Asia Cup was the last occasion an Indian cricket team visited Pakistan. 2006 was the last time Pakistan and India played a bilateral series. Pakistan’s previous white-ball trip to India was in 2012. Binny underlined that they cannot decide the likelihood of resuming bilateral cricket with Pakistan.
