Wasim Khan, Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB)Chief Executive Officer said that they were looking to become self-sustainable without worrying about a bilateral series against India and the recent deal it signed with PTV is a step in that direction. India and Pakistan now meet only in ICC events like World Cups.
Wasim Khan said Pakistan cricket has a lot to look forward to without worrying about playing India in a bilateral series. India and Pakistan have not played in a bilateral series since 2012.
Wasim Khan: Pakistan Cricket Has A Lot To Look Forward To Without Worrying About Playing India In Bilateral Series
The India–Pakistan cricketing rivalry is one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world. The tense relationship between the two neighbouring countries laid the foundations for the emergence of an intense sporting rivalry between the two nations who had shared a common cricketing heritage.
The two sides first played in 1952, when Pakistan toured India. Recently the 1999 Kargil War and the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks have also interrupted cricketing ties between the two nations.
“My message to fans and followers of Pakistan cricket is that we have achieved a lot so far and there is still a lot of hard work ahead, but Pakistan cricket has a lot to look forward to without worrying about playing India [in bilateral series],” Khan told PakPassion.net in an interview.
“The BCCI have to get government of India’s permission before they play Pakistan and that’s a fact. So, based on that and the current regime in power, their outlook on life and their opinions on certain matters, including their views on Pakistan, it is highly unlikely that in the near future Pakistan will play India,” he said.
In 1999, immediately following then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani team toured India for Test matches and played in an ODI competition before the Kargil War again put bilateral relations in a jeopardy.
Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s peace initiative of 2003 led to India touring Pakistan after a gap of almost 15 years. Subsequent exchange tours were held in 2005 and 2006 before the 2008 Mumbai attacks led to the suspension of India’s planned tour of Pakistan in 2009 and all future engagements in Pakistan.
The rise of domestic terrorism in Pakistan saw them not hosting international cricket since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in 2009, and Pakistan was even stripped of its co-host status for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Bilateral ties finally resumed when BCCI invited the Pakistan national team to tour India for three ODIs and two T20Is in December 2012 which was, unfortunately, the last time the two teams met in a bilateral series.
Wasim Khan: PCB Signed A Deal With PTV As Board Want To Become Self- Sustainable
Wasim Khan said that the PCB was looking to become independent and not to worry about a bilateral series against India and the recent deal it signed with PTV and cable operators is a step in that direction.
“We just signed a deal with PTV and cable operators which will generate $200m over the next three years and it’s very important that we as a Board become self-sustainable and that is something we are working on, so that the PCB is in a position to invest in the right areas,” he said.
“We will continue to play India in ICC tournaments but in terms of bilateral cricket I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon. We have got a lot to look forward to in the next two years and I think we need to focus on the amount of cricket which is coming up. We also have three World Cups in the next three years, and we have four of the biggest cricket nations coming to play in Pakistan.”
Wasim Khan mentioned that Pakistan will continue to play against India in ICC tournaments although PCB doesn’t expect bilateral cricket to happen soon.
India has the better record in ICC tournaments, with Pakistan yet to win a single match in either the 50 overs World Cup or T20 World Cup in meetings between the two teams. In the Champions Trophy, however, Pakistan have won three of the five meetings between the two sides which include the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final.
This was the second time the two teams had met in an ICC final, with India winning the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty20 Final in South Africa by a margin of only five runs. India won all seven matches in 50 overs World Cup and five matches including a bowl-out in T20 World Cup.