“Should tell their board”: Ex Pak Cricketer Makes Champions Trophy Plea to Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly
With the ICC Champions Trophy just months away, there are still various question marks about the tournament which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan. There is growing speculation that the BCCI will not send the Indian team to Pakistan for the major ICC event and will discuss with the ICC the possibility of adopting a hybrid model and making UAE the co-host of the tournament.
The recent appointment of Jay Shah as the ICC Chairman has further decreased India’s chances of traveling to Pakistan, casting a major doubt on Pakistan hosting the entire tournament.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper, Moin Khan has taken a jab at BCCI and called on Indian cricket icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, and others to step in and urge the BCCI to separate politics from the sport.
“Former India cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, etc., should tell their cricket board to keep politics away from cricket. Cricket should not be obstructed by political issues. The fans would love to see India and Pakistan play. It will not only benefit Pakistan, but overall cricket will be benefited,” Khan told Cricket Pakistan.
Khan further stated that if India is unwilling to respect the commitments of Pakistan, then they will be forced to withdraw from future events that will take place in India. “India ought to honor their commitments with the ICC. And if they do not come, then Pakistan should reconsider their decision to participate in any future events slated to be held in India,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PCB has already submitted its draft schedule to the ICC, with a focus on India’s fixtures. According to the draft, India is set to play all their matches in Lahore, including a potential semi-final and final, with the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash slated for March 1.
The two teams last played a bilateral series in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India in a 3-match ODI series, winning 2-1.
When did India last play in Pakistan?
India last traveled to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup. Men in Blue lost to Sri Lanka in the final, which remains their last fixture on the neighboring soil.
India’s last bilateral series in Pakistan took place in 2006, where Pakistan claimed a 1-0 victory in the Test series. The hosts started the five-match ODI series with a win, but the Men in Blue responded emphatically, securing a 4-1 series triumph.
India famously refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, forcing the tournament to be co-hosted by UAE.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
