Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has once again spewed hatred for India saying that Pakistan shouldn’t travel to the neighboring country for matches, including this year's ICC ODI World Cup, until the BCCI agrees to send its team to his nation first.
After much drama, ICC had convinced Pakistan to come to India for the 2023 World Cup, and as per the leaked draft of the schedule, Pakistan is scheduled to play India in the blockbuster World Cup clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.
They are also scheduled to play Afghanistan in Chennai and Australia in Bengaluru.
However, in a new twist, PCB chief Najam Sethi has reportedly requested BCCI for a change of venues due to Chennai being a spin-friendly venue and Afghanistan having three very good spinners. They also want to play Australia at Bengaluru.
Reports have stated that Pakistan wants to play Asian nations on flat wickets, while other teams on spin friendly tracks.
Sethi also said that the Pakistan team will only travel to India, if the central government allows them to, throwing a spanner in things after the Asia Cup 2023 dates were finalized.
But the 66-year-old former captain feels it is now India's time to reciprocate by touring Pakistan.
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"Pakistan has been to India in 2012 and even in 2016 now it is the turn of the Indians to come here. If I had to make a decision, I would never go to India to play any match, even the World Cup. We are always ready to play them (India) but they never respond in the same manner,” Miandad said during a function.
"Pakistan cricket is bigger...we are still producing quality players. So I don't think even if we don't go to India it will make any difference to us," he added.
India had last visited Pakistan in 2008, and Pakistan came in 2012-13, but since then the bilateral cricket ties stand suspended due to geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
"I always say one can't choose its neighbors, so it is better to live by cooperating. And I have always said cricket is a sport which brings people closer to each other and can remove misunderstandings and grievances between countries," he said.
After Pakistan was compelled to host the 2023 Asia Cup using a hybrid model with India playing all of their matches in Sri Lanka, Miandad launched a new offensive. Miandad, a strident critic of India, didn't like this choice.
"It was on the cards that they would again not send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup so it is time we also take a strong stand now," he said.
(PTI inputs)
