NEW DEHLI: India's cricket board said Tuesday it has secured government clearance to host Pakistan for a short tour later this year.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has invited Pakistan to play three one-dayers and two Twenty20 matches in December-January, the first bilateral contests between the arch-rivals in five years.
"We have discussed all security aspects (and) the tour is on," board spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters after a meeting between its officials and Indian Home Secretary RK Singh in New Delhi.
A report by the Press Trust of India said the venues for the ODI games would most likely be Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi while the Twenty20 matches would take place in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
The rivals have not played a series since Pakistan's tour of India in 2007, after cricket ties were snapped following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have only met in international tournaments since 2007.
They clashed in the ODI World Cup semi-final in the northern Indian town of Mohali last year, a match that was attended by both countries' prime ministers.
COMMENTS (36)
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Pakistanis playing in India is fine, but India should not be foolish enough to send our Cricketers to Pakistan.
Putting Sachin Tendulkar in harm's way.. Unthinkable!
@Khan007: "Why not in pakistan? " +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Right, why not in Baluchistan?
@Khan007: Amma yaar, first take care of your own then think about inviting others!!
@Amit: I think all Indians should boycott this series because by allowing it, our government has taken second step backwards (or backfoot, can we say?), the first being resumption of talks between Krishna & Hina. May be the first one was succumbing to US pressure, but this seems pure greed! BCCI has so much money that it doesn't have place to stash it. So why this greed? If the players do come, let them play to empty stadiums & take home the msg: You are welcome only after you punish the villains of 26/11 first.
Let's get ready for the good series.... I will say cross the border and come this side we will watch the game together
I can assure you stadium will be jam packed and ticket will be sold in black. People love cricket on both side of the border. Hope it actually materalise
Haters gonna Hate... Nevermind,,, I predict the Stadiums will be Jam packed and thrice the number will be outside the stadiums who couldn't get tickets...!
Can politics lover leave this page for sports lovers? Looking forward to this series. A full series with tests included would have done good to both teams/boards.
well...do you think the picture was in good sportsman spirit?
@Cynical: "But I guess you took me as an indian and reacted the way you did"
Should it matter or should it be the inherent content that should drive the response? I read what you and many of your compatriots say with great interest because it appears inherently logical or reasonable - not because you are fellow Indians. Don't you think Indians should get the same courtesy?
I am not believing that until the series takes place
Well, it is going to be a well contested series and India shall have to work very hard to beat Pakistan as the latter has a better record of wins against India except for the World Cup matches.
@PaKhtoon: But we have UK aclaimed doctor to Keep them in control. US is also planning to patent his treatment.
@Selina
Firstly, I offer sincere apology, if you felt hurt by my comment. But I guess you took me as an indian and reacted the way you did Actually I did commend the Indian move, though I admit putting a bit of colour on it.
As for 'codemning an entire nation'; '.......neither sanctioned nor committed'; it's stretching the concept of 'reading between the lines' a bit too far. Since I do not have access to state secrets, I am not in a position to make those allegations in the first place. But what I do know from multiple internatinal (not limited to Pakistan and India) media exposures is that those ten people came from Pakistan. Hence my reference is factual, though in poor taste and for that I will say, sorry.
@Nitish
I find you all over ET comment pages spewing venom on a regular basis at every conceivable opportunity. With so much hatred bottled up inside, how do you sleep at night? Hate is unattractive! Consult a psychiatrist!!
@Nitish The hatred and twisted mindset of hawks like you will never change.
@Selina: "@Cynical – If you cant stay anything positive at the prospect of a good series, then better to keep quiet. " But, he was positive. See how he lauded the government decision. To his dismay and the rest of India, however, you are going to send not only the 11 cricketers by bus but also 10 strategic assets in dinghies, too all at the same time. Now, that is throwing a curve ball and Pakistanis are experts at that!
@PaKhtoon: We have abundant of your kind in india.Definitely they will fill the stadium.They r more pakistani than indian.Definitely huge support for pak team is awaiting .
@Khan007: Players have families............
@Khan00:And who will guarantee the security of our players ,Rehman mallik or Hfeez saeed.
Yawn... Dead wickets... not thrilled at all.
@ashok sai: It doesn't matter if you will watch it or not, We will see how many people down there in the stadium.....
Why not in pakistan? This series must b played here
It will be a close contest.
@ashok sai
Yet you are here on pakistani website commenting on the series that just shows your commitment :)
@Cynical - If you cant stay anything positive at the prospect of a good series, then better to keep quiet. As a Pakistani, I hope that Pakistan destroys the Indian cricket team in the cricket sense by winning all matches. But irrespective of the outcome, the prospect of a tightly contested series is great.
As for making the right choices - condemning an entire nation for an act it neither sanctioned nor committed is definitely the wrong choice.
oh how nice of them.
Good News!!! Looking forward for the series.......
This tour will be a death bell for the sitting Congress Govt. Me and my friends vowed long back not to watch it, sure this thought will get momentum. Pakistan should bring the culprits of Mumbai massacre to justice.
i hope that India as well as Pakistan play serious clean cricket and the money or something or someone not affecting the results.
Greens get warm up and work hard now...u have to do somthing extra to beat India in India...lets see who wanna be hero this time...
The choice was between meeting 11 cricketers on the pitch and facing 10 strategic guests in 5 star hotel. India has made the right choice.
yup,new religious war,these cricket matches don't mean anything else, from professional point of view or either from sportsmanship point of view, these are just a waste of time.
This will be intense!