India haven’t played in Pakistan since 2008, but legends like Wasim Akram are hopeful that the Indian team will cross the border to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March next year.
But the Indian government still hasn’t given the green signal to the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), and a final decision is expected sometime closer to the tournament.
“I think whatever I’m reading, there are positive vibes from (the) Indian government and (the) BCCI. I also read somewhere they will probably play all their games in Lahore. They will probably come to Lahore and travel (back) the same night. I’m all for it, as long as India is comfortable,” Akram said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The Champions Trophy, which is making a comeback to the international cricket calendar after 2017, is scheduled for February 19 to March 9 next year. In order to facilitate the travel and ensure safety of the Indian team, the Pakistan Cricket Board has proposed to hold India’s matches in Lahore.
“I can promise you, they (are) going to get looked after amazingly well. I mean, Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, (Hardik) Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, they have fans in Pakistan. The young cricket fans adore them,” said Akram.
Notably, when Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup, it had to be turned into a hybrid tournament and India played their matches in Sri Lanka. But late last year, Pakistan visited India to participate in the ODI World Cup.
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“People-to-people contact is very important in this day and age. In this social media age, there’s so much negativity all over the world, unnecessary negativity, in my opinion, and I think if India comes, it will be great for cricket, and of course, it’ll be great for Pakistan too,” Akram said.
