The ICC wants to see India and Pakistan in action again

The Indian government will only allow the national team to play Pakistan in multi-nation cricket tournaments.

But the ban has been lifted at junior level and ICC president Ehsan Mani hopes it will lead to a breakthrough.

"It is a metter of great regret for anyone who loves cricket that these two great countries are not playing against each other," he said.

Pakistan's president Parvez Musharraf has no objection to full cricket relations being resumed.

"He went out of his way to give us the assurance that the Pakistani government would not interfere or stop the Pakistan team in any way," said Mani.

India has not played a Test match in Pakistan since 1989, although Pakistan played three Tests in India in 1999-2000.

It will be politicians who decide on when they'll be playing matches," said Mani.

The two sides last met during the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, a match which proved that the rivalry between players and supporters had lost none of its intensity.