'Politicisation by Pakistan': Lalit Modi blames PCB for influence of India-Pak cricket freeze

Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has cast serious doubt over the prospect of India and Pakistan resuming bilateral cricket anytime soon, citing political interference as the primary roadblock.

Speaking on former England captain Michael Vaughan’s YouTube show The Overlap Cricket, Modi suggested that strained relations between the two boards continue to hinder any possibility of a series, even at a neutral venue. Modi pointed to what he described as growing political influence over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a key concern. He remarked that there might have been “some traction” towards reviving ties had the situation not been “made political” through external pressures.

Dismissing suggestions that neutral venues could offer a solution, Modi emphasised that the issue runs deeper than logistics, rooted instead in governance and decision-making within the PCB.

Modi reiterated that the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon, effectively ruling out the possibility of a bilateral series in the near future. "I fear that it may not be possible in the near future, primarily because of the politicisation by the Pakistan Cricket Board in Pakistan and unfortunately, that's the way it is," he said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.

He argued that decisions are no longer being made independently within cricketing circles, complicating efforts to organise matches between the two sides. He also expressed concerns about player safety given the charged atmosphere surrounding India-Pakistan encounters.

"I was the one that brought Pakistani players into the IPL and then I had to move them after the 26/11 massacre in Bombay. The problem is if the Pakistan Cricket Board was independent and ran independently, if it wasn't politically influenced, we would have some traction. But today the Pakistan Cricket Board is so politicised by the powers that be and they are pulling the levers and making it political. We have tension at that level, political level and that is not going away. It's only going to get worse. So I fear for the players,” he said.

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Last Bilateral series between Indian and Pakistan

The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 201-13, when Pakistan toured India for a limited-overs series consisting of two T20Is and three ODIs. The T20I series ended in a 1–1 draw, while Pakistan won the ODI series 2–1. Since then, the two teams have not engaged in any bilateral contests and have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and multi-nation events such as the Asia Cup.