India-Pakistan plans for future cricket welcomed

Plans to resume cricket contact between India and Pakistan, even if below full international level, have been welcomed by the International Cricket Council.

The two Asian countries have said Under-19 and A matches will be the first contact between the sides in either country.

ICC president Ehsan Mani said he was hopeful the lesser matches would be a stepping stone to the resumption of full international contact between the side nations.

"India and Pakistan on the cricket field is one of the world's great sporting rivalries. When these teams met in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, the passion that the match generated, and its ability have a positive impact on people in both nations was apparent.

"Cricket, like all sport, has the capacity to promote understanding and generate goodwill and I would urge the political leaders in both countries to allow the game of cricket to assist in building relations between these two nations rather than being used for a political purpose," he said.