NEW DELHI (Reuters)
India's cricket chiefs want the government to clarify whether their team can play bitter rivals Pakistan at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said on Thursday: "We would like to know from the government. We have to abide by whatever they say since this is a foreign-affairs matter."

India and Pakistan are in the same group for the opening round of the limited-overs tournament.

"There are lots of issues when it comes to India playing Pakistan. We only want the government to tell us well in advance about tournaments so that we don't have to pull out at the last minute. That could lead to India being isolated," he added.

Though the government has said they oppose only bilateral cricket between the neighbours, they did not allow the Indian side to travel to Pakistan for an Asian Test Championship match which was part of a tournament also involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Relations between the two countries have been strained due to political tensions over the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Cricket ties between the neighbours have been rocky since the Indian government cancelled a proposed Test tour of Pakistan late last year and banned bilateral matches between the two countries.

Pakistan said future cricketing relations with India were in doubt after they pulled out of the Asian Test Championship.

Dalmiya said India's main priority was to prepare for the World Cup and next year's youth World Cup.

Asked whether the board would extend coach John Wright's contract, Dalmiya said a decision could be made only after the team's recent failures were discussed with him.

India, who came from 1-0 down to beat Australia 2-1 in a home Test series earlier this year, have since lost 2-1 in Sri Lanka and drawn a two-Test series in Zimbabwe 1-1.

Their Test ranking has slipped to eighth and they have also lost eight consecutive finals in one-day tournaments.

"The idea is not to have heads rolling but go to the root of the problem," Dalmiya said.

Former New Zealand captain Wright's one-year contract is up for renewal in October.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd