“India vs Pakistan is our Ashes. We must play it.” Former Board president Raj Singh Dungarpur uttered these words before India and Pakistan resumed bilateral ties in 1999.

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi expressed similar sentiments yesterday after the BCCI announced that a limited overs series will be held in December and stressed: “It is important that cricket and politics are separated. It is very sad that politicians from both sides kept the country divided in 1947.