New Delhi: India's tour of Pakistan was on Thursday officially called off with the government refusing permission to the team to travel across the border in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, putting an end to the prolonged uncertainty on the fate of the series.
The government's decision was conveyed to the BCCI President Shashank Manohar on Thursday through a letter which cited "recent developments as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present" as the reasons for calling off the high-profile tour.
"The final decision has been taken. We have got the letter from the Sports Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs not to proceed with the tour", senior BCCI official Rajeev Shukla told PTI.
"The government has declined permission to go ahead with the tour taking into account the recent developments in Mumbai as well as the overall circumstances prevailing at present," Shukla said.
He said the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Sports Minister MS Gill had also personally called up Monohar to convey the decision.
India were scheduled to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match during their tour of Pakistan from January 4 to February 28 but the tour had been thrown into jeopardy in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The BCCI had all along maintained that it was upto the government to decide on the fate of the tour.
"Now that we have received the letter, we will intimate it to the Pakistan Cricket Board," Shukla said.
Newly-elected PCB chairman Ejaz Butt, who even visited India to convince officials here, said he didn't blame the BCCI for the cancellation.
"We don't blame the Indian board for no show, it's all politicised. This will not hamper relations between PCB and BCCI. The board has received a formal letter from BCCI that the tour is cancelled," he said.
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