"Lakshmana Rekha" between India and Pakistan could prevent the bilateral series

Just before the Group B encounter between India and Pakistan, there were huge cries that India should not play against its rivals following the political tension that is prevailing between the two nations.

Similarly, talks of a bilateral series have taken several turns in the past with both the parties failing to come to a common conclusion, with either India failing to accept the terms from the counterpart or vice-versa. Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel has reaffirmed that the bilateral series between the two nations would not happen in the near future.

Pakistan crossed the Lakshmana Rekha

The minister compared the distance between the two nations as “Lakshmana Rekha” and Pakistan has crossed the line by sponsoring terrorism in India.

“For everything, there is a Lakshmana Rekha. But when the line is crossed then a message has to be given. This (boycott) is a message. We have clearly stated terrorism and sports cannot go side-by-side. As long as Pakistan doesn’t stop cross-border terror and (instigating) trouble in Kashmir..then there is no chance for bilateral series and also the national mood doesn’t support it,” Goel said while addressing media at the sidelines of a youth delegation meet in China.

Goel also went on to tell that terrorism and talks about cricket would not go hand-in-hand, with Pakistan deserving to be isolated at the global stage for sponsoring terrorism.

The minister also spoke about the resignation of Ramachandra Guha, who was a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and said that Guha was not in any state to comment on the progress since the Supreme Court just appointed him for the game.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had previously met with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Dubai to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to play six bilateral series between 2015 to 2023. The meeting, however, did not have any decisions taken which meant that the ties between the two countries remained a question.