Misbah urges ties to resume

– Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq (above) hopes bilateral cricketing ties with India will resume despite the chief of the neighbouring board ruling out the possibility in the near future after the recent attack on an army camp in Kashmir.

In the latest setback to relations, Indian Cricket Board President Anurag Thakur last week ruled out the possibility of reviving ties with Pakistan, saying even considering such a thought in the current situation was not appropriate.

His statement followed the September 18 attack on an Indian army camp in Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. The attack claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers in the biggest blow to security forces in the disputed Himalayan region for 14 years.

Bilateral cricketing ties between the neighbouring countries were suspended after gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai in 2008, an attack which India blames on a Pakistani militant group.

The nuclear-powered South Asian countries, who have fought three wars since their 1947 independence, have played each other in International Cricket Council (ICC) events like the World Cups.

“Pakistan is always ready to play against India, but what can we do if they do not want to play?” Misbah asked.

“If India can play against Pakistan in ICC events then why not in a bilateral series?”

Pakistani cricketers played in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament in 2008, but have since been denied permission due to tensions following the Mumbai attacks. –