KARACHI: Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt was optimistic that bilateral cricket ties with India will soon resume after the World Cup.

India beat Pakistan in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final in a match that was attended by prime ministers of both countries and and had been billed as an exercise in ‘cricket diplomacy’.

“The talks with them on resumption of bilateral cricket ties were very fruitful and the Indian Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) has also now assured (us) that the two countries will soon play bilateral series,” Butt told reporters on Thursday after returning from India.

“I think the semi-final is the first step towards resumption of bilateral ties.”

India froze bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan after 166 people were killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks and also cancelled a full test tour to Pakistan in early 2009.

Since then both countries have only met in multi-team tournaments organised by the International Cricket Council – sport’s governing body.