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TANGIERS, Aug 17: A top Indian government and cricket board official Saturday said situation was ideal for its team to resume cricketing relations with neighbors Pakistan.

Rajeev Shukla, member of the Indian Parliament and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), further said if touring each other's country was out of question, the resumption should be from a neutral venue.

"The resumption of cricket relations is extremely essential. As I see things, the tension is easing out and if cricket is resumed, it would further help the two countries to come close to each other," he told Dawn.

India is scheduled to tour Pakistan next year in April and May for three Tests and five one-day internationals. But that tour is subject to New Delhi's approval that has slapped a ban on any bilateral series.

"The BCCI president (Jaghmohan Dalmiya) had a discussion with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who gave a very patient hearing. Besides other issues, Dalmiya also argued that if a ban has to be slapped, it should be on all sports. The BCCI has received a very encouraging response from the Prime Minister.

"I agree that the sports minister has clamped the ban, but if the Prime Minister wants, he can reverse the decision," Shukla said.

India has not played a Test series in Pakistan since 1988-89 though they crossed border in 1997 to participate in the Pakistan's Golden Jubilee three-match series. Pakistan, on the contrary, played three Tests and a tri-nation one-day series in early 1999.

"The general feeling within the BCCI is that cricket between the two countries should resume. After all, we are playing at junior level, aren't we?

"For the ICC Champions Trophy and next year's World Cup, the government has given its clearance to play Pakistan. So there is no problem on that front," he said.

Shukla said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should send a fresh invitation to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) suggesting for the series to be played at a neutral venue.

"The objective should be to break the ice instead of pressing for the series to be played in Pakistan. If we go to a neutral venue, things would start tonormalize and eventually one day, India would tour Pakistan.

"The irony is that by not playing against each other, the rest of the countries are getting an excuse. The Australians refusal to tour Pakistan was certainly a setback and has left, at least, India on a backfoot since we can't press them to tour Pakistan as we have ourselves not toured that country," Shukla said.

When pointed out New Delhi has banned its team playing in Sharjah, one of the possible venues for the Test series, Shukla said it was because of the investigations that were going on in the aftermath of Hansiegate scandal. "But we have other options available,"he said.

The PCB played its home series against West Indies in Sharjah earlier this year while the desert city along with Colombo are likely to be the venues of the home series against Australia.

Last week, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC) had also indicated that Pakistan and India could lock horns on neutral territory. He had got the feedback from Dalmiya who met Prime Minister Monday last.

"Naturally if there is players security, the BCCI will have to seek clearance from the foreign office. But why jump to conclusions. Let the PCB first send a fresh invitation to the BCCI so that it can present it before the sports ministry and the Prime Minister," the MP said.

He admitted that the BCCI feared isolation and suspension from the ICC if it continued to cancel bilateral series with Pakistan.

"We can cancel a series once or twice. But eventually, the excuse will become lame and might lead to complications. The BCCI is aware of that fact and that's why it is seriously interested in revival of cricket between the two boards," Shukla said.

© Dawn