Sports Desk, 20 June: Legendary batsman for Pakistan Javed Miandad stirred up more controversy on Monday when he said that until the BCCI agreed to send its team to Pakistan, the Pakistani squad should not travel to the neighbouring nation for matches including this year’s ICC ODI World Cup.
According to the ICC’s draught schedule, the crucial World Cup match will take place between Pakistan and India on October 15 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium. The 66-year-old ex-captain in response suggested that India should tour Pakistan right now.
Miandad stated, “Pakistan has been to India in 2012 and even in 2016 now it is the Indians’ turn to come here.”
“I would never go to India to play any game, not even the World Cup, if I had to choose. We are always prepared to play India, but they never react the same way. Pakistan cricket is bigger but we continue to produce good players. Therefore, even if we do not travel to India, I do not believe it will have any effect on us,” he continued.
India’s final stop in the 2008 50-over Asia Cup was Pakistan. Bilateral cricket relations have been put on hold as a result of ongoing geopolitical difficulties between the two countries. Politics and sports shouldn’t be intertwined, according to Miandad.
“I always say that because you can’t choose your neighbors, it’s better to live together and work together. Additionally, “I have always maintained that cricket is a sport that can remove misunderstandings and grievances between nations,” he stated.
Due to India playing all of their games in Sri Lanka, Pakistan was compelled to host the 2018 Asia Cup under a hybrid format which sparked Miandad’s most recent outburst. Miandad, an outspoken critic of India disagreed with this choice.
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