India and Pakistan to resume cricket ties on Christmas

Reuters: India and Pakistan will resume bilateral cricket ties with a Twenty20 international in Bangalore on Christmas Day, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Thursday.

The two teams will play a second T20 match in Ahmedabad before taking part in three one-day internationals in Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi, the BCCI said in a statement.

Bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbours were suspended after the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed. India blame Pakistan-based militants for the incident.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars in the past 65 years and already fragile relations were further strained since the carnage when gunmen attacked two upmarket hotels, a busy railway terminal and a fashionable cafe in Mumbai.

The last series between the two sides was Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007 although Pakistan travelled to India to play the 50 overs World Cup semi-final in Mohali last year.