No More India vs Pakistan In World Cup Group Stage After Pahalgam Terrorist Attack? Report Claims, "BCCI..."

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 people in Kashmir on April 22, the heinous act has been condemned worldwide. Reactions have strong from all quarters, including sports organisations. Twenty six people died as terrorists from a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot opened fire on a group of unsuspecting tourists in the scenic meadows of Baisaran in Pahalgam, resulting in one of the worst face-offs with Pakistan. Cricket between the two countries has also come under focus after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

India and Pakistan, for the last decade, have been playing each other only in ICC (International Cricket Council) and continental cricket events. The last time the two teams played a bilateral series between themselves was in 2012-13. India vs Pakistan cricket clashes always draw huge crowd in any part of the world. Almost always the two teams are drawn together in the group stages of all ICC and continental events to grab maximum eyeballs. But after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, some speculative reports claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to the ICC, so that India and Pakistan are not clubbed in the same group in future global events (like World Cup and the Champions Trophy).

A report in Cricbuzz, however, said it was not the case. "A top BCCI office-bearer also told that such a development is news to him. The BCCI authorities are sensitive to the prevailing national mood but as things stand, there is no truth to the speculation," it said.

There is no big men's ICC event this year. The Women's World Cup will be played in India in September-October. Pakistan have qualified for it and as per earlier agreements, it will play its matches at a neutral