Rejecting suggestions that neutral venues could offer a solution, Modi stressed that the issue goes deeper than logistics, with its roots in governance and decision-making within the PCB.Modi reiterated that the situation is unlikely to improve soon, effectively ruling out the possibility of a bilateral series in the near future. “I fear it may not be possible in the near future, mainly because of the politicization 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 taken independently in the cricket world, complicating efforts to organize matches between the two sides. He also expressed concern about the safety of the players in view of the tense atmosphere regarding the India-Pakistan matches.“I was the one who brought Pakistani players to the IPL and then I had to shift them after the 26/11 carnage in Bombay. The problem is that if the Pakistan Cricket Board was independent and run independently, if it was not politically influenced, we would have had some traction. But today the Pakistan Cricket Board has been politicized by those powers and they are pulling the levers and making it political. There is tension between us at that level, at the political level and it is not going away. It’s about to get worse. So I fear for the players,” he said.

Last bilateral series between India and Pakistan

The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2013–13, 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, both teams have not featured in any bilateral competitions and have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and multi-national events such as the Asia Cup.