Manan Vatsyayana—AFP
Twenty20 captain tells media there are plenty of other teams willing to take on the Pakistan side.
Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain and popular all-rounder Shahid Afridi urged authorities not to chase after sporting rival India to play a cricket series against his country, saying his team can play against other sides.
Earlier this month the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wrote a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking confirmation as to whether or not India would play a proposed two Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 matches in the United Arab Emirates in December and January. But India has so far not replied and current political tension between the two countries, with frequent ceasefire violations on the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region, has cast serious doubt over the first full series between them since 2007.
“I can’t understand why we are running after India,” Afridi told media during a training camp. “There are other bigger teams who we can play because we have invited India many times and if they don’t want to play we are still happy.”
The proposed series in the United Arab Emirates was agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two boards last year, but is still pending clearance from New Delhi. Pakistan paid a short visit to India to play two Twenty20 and three one-day internationals in December 2012 but that failed to revive the bilateral series.
In July BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had said cricket was not possible under the current strained relationship between the two countries. But Afridi added that people of both countries want to watch a Pak-Indo series.
“The way Pakistan welcomed India was never seen before,” said Afridi of the 2004 visit by India—their first in the neighboring country for 15 years. “People of both the countries want to watch Indo-Pak contests because it’s a series bigger than the Ashes.”
Afridi said he did not know what the Indian government’s decision would be. “Pakistan always supported India in difficult times but I don’t know what will be [the] Indian government’s decision and the series depends on their decision,” said Afridi.
1 comment
Finally someone is talking sense, but the corrupt corporate mafia running PCB is greedy and self-centered and is obsessed only with money. The nation’s self-respect means nothing to them. That’s why they are absurdly begging for a series with India who is taking great pleasure in rebuffing them and insulting the nation in the process.