The shenanigans of the BCCI mandarins and the political machinations on both sides of the border have ensured that the tie is brought to a halt. While they settle their scores, cricket also becomes one odd victim. There were no test ties between India and Pakistan between 1961 and 1978 and again between 1989 and 1999. The last test series that happened between the two nations was in 2007. The Mumbai terror attacks led to India cancelling its trip across the Wagah earlier this year.  Meanwhile Pakistan is looking to find a home away from home.  Though England has offered to host its home series vs Australia next year but that hardly is a long term solution.

An India vs. Pakistan clash in a neutral territory is a dampener.  Neither do the players enjoy it nor is the hunger of the millions of cricket fanatics on both sides of the border satiated. And in the time of peace the cricket boards made no effort to turn this contest into an enduring tradition. Perhaps bad planning and bad scheduling of the draws did not help in building the hype around this sub-continental clash which is no less than legendary.

Sachin Tendulkar , Wasim Akram; Imran Khan and Kapil Dev have many a interesting stories to tell from their times. This is a series which has thrown up some of the best like Tendulkar, Manjrekar, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Aqib Javed, just to name a few. And it has also sold the term “cricket diplomacy” the world over. So much so that when the ties resumed in 1999, even the US media covered it. And in ICC too these two powers have stood together in the face of all the storm.

However, much emphasis on the shorter version of the game, the 50 overs and now the 20 overs have meant Test cricket taking a back-seat. The last five match Test series happened between the two countries in 1987. And in the last 22 years the contest has involved much drama which has been money’s worth for the viewers but the boards have not worked to raise its profile.

The BCCI in the past has bailed the PCB out of many a sticky situation but this time it seems things are a bit messier for the Pakistanis.  They had entered into a contract with a Dubai based sports channel and  the clause being a minimum of two bilateral series against India. But the BCCI has not scheduled any bilateral series with Pakistan in the Future Tours Programme till 2012.

TEN Sports, which has signed a USD 140.5 million dollars contract with the PCB was hoping to make a large chunk of the money from the bilateral series with India.

The Board and the network had earlier lost revenues worth USD 40 million due to the cancellation of the India's Test tour to Pakistan earlier this year. And if the series vs the Kiwis are also pushed to a neutral venue, the production cost will sky rocket.

India may not be able to help because the Government is not willing to help the game but when times allowed this contest between passionate cricket fans, followed by passionate fans failed to leave a larger impact. And to say that the Indians do not follow Tests is ludicrous given how much crowd even today will flock to the stadium in Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."