Pakistan's Nasir Jamshed (right) bats as Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reacts during their Asia Cup match in Dhaka on March 18. Pakistan's cricket chief has said he was "positive" about reviving stalled cricket ties with India, following President Asif Ali Zardari's weekend trip to New Delhi.
©AFP - Munir Uz Zaman

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistan's cricket chief said on Tuesday he was "positive" about reviving stalled cricket ties with India, following President Asif Ali Zardari's weekend trip to New Delhi.

The arch-rivals met in the Asia Cup one-day tournament last month and the World Cup semi-final in India last year, but regular tours have been frozen since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

India postponed a tour to Pakistan scheduled for January 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai carnage, which left 166 people dead, before suspending all sporting links.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had lunch with Zardari on Sunday and said he would consider reviving what is one of the most hotly-contested rivalries in cricket.

"We are quite positive about the revival of cricketing ties with India after our president took the initiative," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf told reporters after a PCB meeting.

"It was a good move to invite the Indian premier to Pakistan and I am sure that it will help in moving forward."

Pakistan and India are slated to play in 2012 in the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme, but India's already hectic schedule makes this difficult even if there is a thaw in relations.