Kolkata, March 17

India and Pakistan are set to resume bilateral cricketing ties in December this year, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said here Tuesday. “Pakistan and India would be playing a bilateral series in December this year. We are working very hard on that, it will be happening after a long gap,” Basit said during an event here.

The announcement comes seven days after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shaharyar Khan met newly elected BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur as part of efforts to resume cricket matches between the two countries. Basit said the venue country could either be India or the UAE.

“The modalities are being worked out, the venue could either be India or the UAE,” said Basit calling for both the countries to “aggressively pursue” sporting diplomacy. The two neighbours, whose relations have often turned bitter, played their previous bilateral series in December-January 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India.

India and Pakistan boards have inked a binding agreement that provides for the two sides playing 12 Tests, 20 One Day Internationals and 11 T20Is during a six-year period. The opening engagement is slated to be played in December.— IANS