He said that BCCI and Team India were reluctant to tour Pakistan in 2004.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has on Friday (January 3) revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian cricket team wasn’t ready to visit Pakistan way back in 2004.
However, the tour of the five One Day Internationals and three Tests finally got underway, thanks to the current BCCI President and then Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly who successfully convinced the board and national players for the Pakistan tour.
Latif, a former Pakistani captain, claimed that Ganguly was the man who made India’s 2004 tour of Pakistan possible and it was the tourists’ highly memorable tour, as they clinched the five-match ODI series 3-2, as well as, won the three-match Test series 2-1 against Pakistan.
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As per reports in ‘The Nation’, Latif said: “In 2004, when the BCCI was reluctant to tour Pakistan, it was (Sourav) Ganguly, who persuaded the BCCI and players. It was a highly memorable tour for India as they managed to win big here after a long gap.”
Meanwhile, the former captain also believes that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should seek help from Ganguly as he is the only man who can do his part in resuming bilateral ties between the two cricketing powerhouses, as they only play each other in only in ICC tournaments since 2011.
Latif further added, “As a cricketer and BCCI President, Ganguly can help (Ehsan) Mani and the PCB. Unless full-fledged Pakistan-India bilateral series resumes, things won’t improve for both countries. The world wants to see Pak-India playing cricket.”
He signed off by saying, “PCB CEO Wasim Khan should also play his active part to ensure top cricket-playing nations come and tour Pakistan as it will help Pakistan cricket and local players.”
(With The Nation Inputs)