KARACHI, April 14: Pakistan have dashed hopes of a revival in cricketing ties with arch-rivals India after announcing their withdrawal from the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, officials said on Monday.

“We have informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of our inability to participate in the Asia Cup and will issue further details next week,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director Chishty Mujahid said.

The PCB took the decision after India refused to tour Pakistan for a Test and one-day series scheduled for April-May this year. Pakistan, in a tit-for-tat response, had said they will not tour India in 2004.

The latest decision ends any hopes of a restoration of cricketing ties between Pakistan and India, which have been severed by New Delhi over Islamabad’s alleged support to militants in the disputed region of Kashmir.

The ACC, now managed by Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, had planned to hold the event in August after Pakistan withdrew as hosts.

Apart from Pakistan and India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and two Associate members of the ACC — Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates — were due to participate in the event.

The regional tournament, initiated in 1983-84, has been marred by India-Pakistan tension. The last time both countries played together in the Asia Cup was in Bangladesh in May-June 2000.

Since then Pakistan and India have met just once in an international match, during the eighth World Cup in South Africa last month.

No Indian team has toured Pakistan since 1997-98 while Pakistan toured India in 1998-99 despite threats from Hindu fundamentalists.

Indian government said it will not allow its team to play a bilateral series with Pakistan until Islamabad stops “cross border terrorism.”—AFP