Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi says politics, not cricket, is the main reason India and Pakistan have not resumed bilateral series, and he warned there is little chance of that changing soon. Speaking on The Overlap Podcast with former England captain Michael Vaughan, Modi pointed to political interference in cricket administration as the key barrier. India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series during Pakistan’s tour of India in 2012–13; their most recent meeting came in the 2026 T20 World Cup group stage, where India won by 61 runs.
Modi told the podcast that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) does not function with full autonomy and that decision-making is “heavily shaped” by those in power. He argued that if the board could operate without political pressure there might already have been movement toward restoring regular ties, but that has not been the case.
He added that strained relations at the political level and strong national sentiment on both sides create an environment that is poorly suited to bilateral engagement. Those wider tensions, Modi said, make cricket a reflection of broader diplomatic and political divides rather than an independent arena.
Since the 2012–13 bilateral series the two teams have met only in ICC and other multi-nation tournaments, denying fans the marquee home-and-away encounters that once defined the rivalry. Modi acknowledged the deep passion for cricket in both countries but warned that the same intensity, combined with political considerations, makes a near-term return to bilateral series unlikely.
The absence of regular India–Pakistan tours has implications for schedules, revenue and cricket diplomacy, leaving one of the sport’s most watched rivalries largely confined to global tournaments rather than bilateral calendars.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/sport/story/pcb-is-so-politicised-lalit-modi-sees-no-return-of-ind-pak-cricket-soon-1377104-2026-04-17?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-17 14:29:00
