After Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur said that there would be no cricketing ties with Pakistan, the Pakistan cricket community hit back at his statement, according to a report by PTI.
“I just don’t understand what he wants to say. For the last eight years, India has avoided playing us in a proper bilateral series even when relations were better,” said former captain, Mohammad Yousuf.
“The ICC keeps on saying it will not tolerate politics or government interference in member boards and the BCCI President is making political statements. Either he speak as a BJP leader or BCCI head,” Yousuf said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board did not make any official comments but a top official told PTI that Thakur’s statement was surprising.
“It is an out and out political statement from the BCCI president. We are disappointed as we have been trying hard for a long time now to normalize cricket ties with India and we have always believed in keeping sports and politics apart,” the official said.
Former captain, Rashid Latif said that Thakur’s statement carried no weight. Latif added that the PCB knew now where it stood as far as relations with BCCI were concerned.
Former Test leg-spinner, Abdul Qadir said Pakistan had always tried to keep politics out of cricket with India but now the BCCI is being run by politicians.
“They have not played us for so many years so what value is this statement? I believe that the PCB should seriously think about playing India in the group matches of any ICC event,” he said.
Qadir noted that the ICC earned millions of dollars by always scheduling India and Pakistan match in the group stage of an ICC event and the same had been done for next year’s Champions Trophy.
