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BCCI looking forward to tour Pak
October 22, 2003 22:47 IST
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is looking forward to next year's tour of Pakistan after the Indian government announced the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between the two hostile neighbours. New Delhi said on Wednesday it would resume all sporting relations with Pakistan, including bilateral cricket, which has been suspended since 2000.
"We have been looking forward to this for a long time," BCCI secretary Karunakaran Nair said over phone from Chennai.
"We're happy because the decision has come at the right time. Our junior team was anyway going to play in Pakistan this month and this latest decision should pave the way for the full Test series next year," he added.
India is scheduled to tour Pakistan in February according to the International Cricket Council's calendar.
The Indian government had denied several pleas by both the Indian and Pakistani boards for resumption of cricketing ties, but last month cleared their junior team to play in Pakistan.
"We need to read the full text of the government order," Nair said. "The India and Pakistan boards have already made lots of groundwork. This order will help us arrange the Test tour."
India last visited Pakistan for a full Test series in 1989-90 and Pakistan's last tour of India was in 1999.
The two teams, however, met at multi-lateral tournaments such as the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.