Pak will never win a war or World Cup match vs India: Anurag Thakur
- Anurag Thakur has ruled out an India vs. Pakistan tie for now due to tensions on the border.
- The BCCI has told the ICC that they will not play Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
- Thakur has asked suggested that Pakistan can never win a World Cup match against India.
FollowTeam India would have faced their arch rivals in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 but Thakur has said that the BCCI has spoken to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Shashank Manohar about not pitting India against Pakistan in the tournament.
"I'm an Indian first, and the nation comes first for me. I'm very sure Pakistan can neither win a war nor a World Cup match against us," the BCCI said during his exclusive interview with Times Now on Tuesday.
Read more: Lodha Panel never asked banks to freeze BCCI accounts
However, the interview did not touch the ongoing crisis between the BCCI and Lodha Committee. According to one of the Lodha reforms, there has to be a 15-day window before and after the IPL. The Champions Trophy is scheduled for June 1-18 while IPL is likely to end in last week of May.
The Supreme Court hearing about the Lodha reforms is due on October 6. If the apex court forced the Indian cricket board to imply the reforms, they would have to choose one tournament between the IPL and Champions Trophy.
Read more: BCCI to face heavy loss by implementing Lodha recommendations on IPL
If Anurag Thakur prefers IPL, the India vs. Pakistan tie is then nevertheless out of the discussion as he has said that there have been no talks about a bilateral series between the neighbours anytime soon.
The recent Uri attacks have made the cricketing relations between the two nations even worse. "The Indian army did a great job with the Surgical attacks. Let us isolate Pakistan, let us expose Pakistan, " a determined cricket diplomat in Thakur said.
