Asia Cup 2018: Either boycott Pakistan or resume bilateral ties, says Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir wants India to take a firm stance on cricket with Pakistan.

Gautam Gambhir wants a clear policy on Indo-Pak cricketing ties

Ahead of the mouth-watering clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2018, veteran opener Gautam Gambhir has raised voice over the ambiguity surrounding around the policy games between the two South Asian neighbors.

Gambhir is not pleased with the fact that Indian government does not allow the national team to resume bilateral ties with Pakistan but allows them to play against them in ICC events or Asia Cup without any issue.

There should not be a conditional ban. We cannot be playing them only in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups. There should be a clear stand, either we should ban them completely or if we really want to play them then we shouldn’t pick and choose, we should also resume bilateral series. For years we’ve been hanging in mid-air,” Gambhir was quoted as saying in Wah Cricket.

There’s no clear policy and we are very indecisive about what we need to do when it comes to playing Pakistan. I don’t think we hear about any other country more than Pakistan. We don’t hear about South Africa, Australia or England. So clearly there is a problem and it needs to be sorted before even thinking of playing cricket with Pakistan,” he added.

Gambhir also opined that soldiers hold a position higher than an enthralling cricket contest between the two nations.

"The soldiers are more important to us, the government should first protect the boundary and then play cricket. On one side, soldiers are martyred on the border, so we should not play cricket anywhere with Pakistan," he asserted.

It is pertinent to mention here that India and Pakistan have not played a full-fledged bilateral series since 2007. Considering the current hostility in the political ties between the countries, the bilateral series seems a distant dream in near future.

India and Pakistan are slotted together in the Asia Cup 2018 alongside Hong Kong. The high-octane encounter will take place in Dubai on September 19. After the Asia Cup, India and Pakistan are slated to face each other in next year’s Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 16 Sep, 2018

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