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Karachi, Aug 20: India has officially withdrawn its team from next month's five-match one-day international series against Pakistan at Toronto, Canada.

J.Y Lele, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told BBC Hindi service that the team has been pulled out on the advice of Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

The series was to be played between Sept 11 and 19. Two months back, the series lost its sponsor (Sahara Group) as tension mounted in the Kargil sector.

Lele told the BBC that the foreign office has advised that it would not be appropriate to play Pakistan in September because of the political atmosphere.

Lele, however, said the office has given the go-ahead to play Pakistan in the Carlton and United one-day series in Australia starting from Jan 9.

Lele further added that the ministry has advised not to play a one-to-one series with Pakistan at the moment. ``We have been allowed to play Pakistan where there is an additional team besides the two.''

Pakistan and India are also scheduled to play in Sharjah triangular in April.

The International Management Group (IMG) had given India a deadline until the end of this week to convey its availability so that it can decide its future line of action.

India's withdrawal from the Toronto series means that Pakistan's international season would begin from Oct 3 with the Sharjah tournament to be followed up by the tour of Australia later in the month.

Pakistan Cricket Board's ad hoc committee chairman Mujeeb-ur-Rehman said it was unfortunate that India has pulled out from the Canadian series. He, however, felt that it was their decision since the ball was in their court.

``But I think it is a blessing in disguise. We will go to Sharjah with a new look team. I mean that by then the investigations would be over and we would know which players are available and who will be the captain.

``For the first time, the Pakistan team will play with no allegations on it whatsoever,'' he remarked.