NEW DELHI, Sept 10: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday welcomed India’s decision to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan at the junior level, saying it could lead to the revival of Test matches between the arch-rivals.

“The cricketing world welcomes this decision and I would hope that it will lead to the resumption of full cricketing ties between these two great cricketing nations,” ICC president Ehsan Mani said in a statement.

“The match between these teams at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 was one of the most exciting games of the tournament, played with a lot of goodwill between the teams and clearly demonstrated the ability of cricket to bring the people of these two countries together.

“Sport has the capacity to build understanding between people and I would hope that the Indian government allows cricket to play a role in promoting goodwill between India and Pakistan,” the statement from the sport’s world governing body said.

The Indian foreign office on Monday cleared a visit to Pakistan by the Indian Under-19 team to take part in a four-nation tournament also featuring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Nov 1-9.

The government also cleared the Pakistan second-string team’s participation in a limited-overs tri-series in India on Dec 13-21. The series will also include Sri Lanka. A tour by India’s academy team to Sri Lanka this month to play matches against Pakistan and the hosts was also cleared.

Along with the junior cricket tours, the government has allowed Pakistan to compete in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games to be held in the southern city of Hyderabad from Oct 24 to Nov 1.

“These steps have been taken in continuation of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s (peace) initiative and as part of promoting people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges,” a government statement said.

Vajpayee extended a “hand of friendship” to Pakistan in April in a bid to improve bilateral ties between the hostile neighbours.

The junior tournaments will be the first clash between Indian and Pakistani cricketers on the sub-continent since the senior teams met in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in May 2000.

The Indian government banned bilateral cricket matches with Pakistan after that due to political tensions, but allowed the teams to play in multi-nation events like the World Cup.

India played against Pakistan in the preliminary league of the World Cup in South Africa in March, a game that passed off without incident.

India has not played a Test match in Pakistan since 1989, while Pakistan played three Tests in India in 1999 and 2000 despite threats from Hindu fundamental ists to disrupt the tour.—AFP