Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said that any future talks on sporting ties with India would only take place on equal terms, making it clear that the era of “pleading for negotiations” was over.

Speaking to reporters after formally inaugurating a T20 tournament in Lahore, Naqvi said team selection remained the exclusive prerogative of the selection committee and he had no role in the process.

“The time of begging for talks with India is gone. If there are discussions, they will be based on equality,” Naqvi asserted.

He said that the women’s cricket team had now moved out of political controversies and would continue to improve.

He urged critics not to subject the national side to undue pressure ahead of the Asia Cup.

“The team needs support. I hope our players will perform well in the Asia Cup and the nation should back them,” he said.

Naqvi’s remarks came against the backdrop of India’s new sports ministry policy that formally extends the suspension of bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan across all disciplines, though it does not prevent encounters at multilateral events, including the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash in the Asia Cup next month.

Last month, the Pakistan Sports Board had also directed national federations to seek prior approval before participating in any event hosted in India.