New Delhi, Sept 08: In a significant step, the government today cleared Indian cricket board's proposal for participation in junior tournaments involving Pakistan. The government has also given the go-ahead to Pakistan's participation in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in October-November.

Making the announcements, External Affairs Ministry spokesman today said the government has cleared proposals received from BCCI that includes a triangular series among the 'academy' teams of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. A quadrangular series of one-day matches among the 'Under-19' teams of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Pakistan has also been approved by the government, he said.

Another BCCI proposal for a tri-series of one-day matches involving the 'A' teams of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in India has been cleared, the spokesman said.

He said these steps have been taken in continuation of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace initiatives and as part of promoting people to people contact and cultural exchanges. India severed bilateral cricket ties with their arch-rivals after the Kargil conflict in 1999. The two countries, however, continued to play in multi-nation tournaments including the World Cup 2003 in South Africa.

The Pakistan cricket team had played in India in 1999 but India have not undertaken a tour of that country since 1989.

Bureau Report