The BCCI has requested ICC not to put India and Pakistan in the same group in international tournaments in the future. The Indian team has not played Pakistan in a bilateral series since 2009. In the 2016 ICC World T20, India and Pakistan were put in the same group.
“Keeping in mind that the government has adopted a new strategy to isolate 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,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur said.
India and Pakistan have been put in the same group of the ICC Champions trophy that is going to be held in United Kingdom next year. The Indian team are defending champions of that tournament. With India and Pakistan put in the same group at international tournaments, people at the stadium and home watch the matches with keen interest and it also gains viewership.
According to Thakur, if the arch rivals reach the knockout round, the situation is not avoidable. The bitter situation between these two countries has increased because of Uri terror attack and response by the Indian army to that attack in PoK where it apparently conducted surgical strikes.
India and Pakistan have been in the same group of internationals tournaments like ICC World Cup T20, ICC Champions trophy. India defeated Pakistan in the first ever T20 World Cup held in South Africa.
India has cut cricketing relations with Pakistan and it will be not possible to play with Pakistan in a tense situation.