“India-Pakistan Talks Kick Off with Cricket Diplomacy”

In their first conversation since 2015, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar spoke twice in less than 24 hours during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. One key topic on the table was the possibility of resuming cricket ties between the two countries.

Sources say the discussions are still in the early stages, but there’s talk of India possibly sending its cricket team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in February 2025. If it happens, this would be India’s first cricket visit to Pakistan in 17 years.

The ministers first met at a dinner hosted by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and later had another conversation during lunch. Jaishankar, a big cricket fan, reportedly discussed the idea of cricket ties with Dar and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

While the talks are preliminary, there’s optimism that cricket could bring the two countries closer. Pakistan has been urging India to play in the upcoming Champions Trophy, and if approved, it could open doors for future series.

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