Dalmiya rules out resumption of bilateral matches against Pakistan

The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya has yet again ruled out the possibility of India playing Pakistan in a bilateral series in the immediate future.

Dalmiya, scheduled to meet Pakistan Cricket Board chief Tauqir Zia in Dubai later this week, made the observation while speaking to reporters in Kolkata.

"The (Indian) government allows us to play in multilateral events but we don't have permission to play in bilateral matches against Pakistan," Dalmiya said on Monday. "That position remains unchanged."

Earlier, Zia had told reporters in Karachi that he was hoping India would pave the way for the resumption of bilateral cricketing ties between the two sub-continental neighbours. "India now has to take the initiative to play us first and resume ties. We have bent backwards a lot and we can't do anything more," Zia said.

The two nations were scheduled to play a series in Pakistan this month but the Indian government declined to send their team due to tensions in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

The two sides last played against each other in the World Cup league match in Centurion on March 1, 2003, which Indian went on to win. It was the first clash between the two sides in almost three years.