BCCI wants India, Pakistan in different pools during tournaments

KARACHI/NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to not place both India and Pakistan in the same group of international tournaments, Indian media reported Friday.

The decision comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed adversaries over ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir.

"Keeping in mind that the government has adopted a new strategy against Pakistan and in view of the public sentiment in the country, we request ICC not to put India and Pakistan in the same pool of the multi-nation tournaments," Indian media quoted BCCI president Anurag Thakur as saying.

He added if the two countries reach the semi-finals and have no choice but to clash, then this would be another situation.

Pakistan and India have not been contesting each other in a bilateral series for long.