'Indians want to see Pakistan play cricket in India,' says Shahid Afridi

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi felt that Indian fans are eager to watch Pakistani cricketers play in their country and added that cricket has always improved relationships between the two nations.

“The relations between Pakistan and India have always improved due to cricket,” Afridi was quoted as saying by CricPakistan.com. “Indians want to see Pakistan play cricket in India.”

India and Pakistan recently faced each other during the T20 World Cup in Australia but the neighbours haven’t played a bilateral series in almost 10 years while the last India vs Pakistan match in the sub-continent was played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata during the 2016 T20 World Cup. The last bilateral series between the nations was played in January 203 when Pakistan toured India.

Afridi’s statement comes at a time when cricket boards of both the nations are at a loggerhead with BCCI secretary Jay Shah, also seving as Asian Cricket Council president, announced last October that Pakistan won’t be hosting the 2023 Asia Cup and will be shifted to a neutral venue.

The announcement didn’t sit well with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), whose chief Ramiz Raja then said that Pakistan will boycott 2023 ODI World Cup, to be hosted by India, if Asia Cup is taken away from them.

Raja had to face the ire of Afridi as well as the latter felt that pitch for the ongoing Pakistan vs England Test in Rawalpindi saying PCB chief’s statement on Pakistan not knowing how to prepare Test match pitches is shocking.

“The way Ramiz was speaking, I mean I was shocked to listen to him saying that we cannot make tracks like these. International matches have been going on in Pakistan for such a long time but then we say stuff like these. Ramiz said that he wanted a turning track I feel in this weather it would have been something big,” Afridi told Samaa TV.

On the opening day of the Test, England batters took the game to the hosts by scoring 500 runs as Pakistan bowlers could find no way to stop the run flow.

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