KARACHI: Famed paceman Wasim Akram was upbeat Tuesday about growing signs that India and Pakistan are to resume cricketing ties, nearly four years after they were suspended following the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf is in India negotiating a revival of matches after watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) final.
India has also allowed the Sialkot Stallions to take part in October's Champions League, the first such participation by a Pakistani team since 2008.
Wasim, who as bowling coach helped Kolkata Knight Riders win their maiden IPL title on Sunday, said there were signs of a thaw.
"I acted as an ambassador for Pakistan as everyone knows me and during my stay I have seen that people want Indo-Pak cricket to start and for me the invitation for Sialkot is the first step," Wasim told AFP.
Pakistani players featured in the inaugural IPL in 2008 and Sialkot was due to participate in the first Champions League the same year, until the Mumbai attacks saw cricket ties suspended.
Wasim, 45, expressed his hope that the doors to the IPL will open for Pakistani cricketers next year.
"Pakistani players Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Umar Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez are popular in India and Indian fans have realised they can add to the charm of the league," said Wasim, who played 104 Tests and 352 one-day internationals for Pakistan.
Wasim added that India not playing Pakistan was a great setback for the millions of spectators in both countries.
"I am a great advocate of Indo-Pak cricket and I hope all the issues between the two countries are solved so that millions of fans are not deprived of such entertaining cricket," said Wasim, who led Pakistan on the tour of India in 1999.
Turning to Pakistan's imminent tour to Sri Lanka, Wasim said: "Pakistan has done well in the past year and although it will be tough playing Sri Lanka on their home grounds I am sure this Pakistan team will do well."
Pakistan plays two Twenty20, five one-days and three Tests on the tour of Sri Lanka, with the first Twenty20 taking place in Hambantota on Friday.
COMMENTS (28)
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@ ayesha, Sane, and Salman...u guys gimme jokes...U think pakistans Cricket league is ever going to be a threat to India...Wake up and smell the coffee guys, besides the fact dat economically and infrastructure wise we guys are way more advanced than u guys but the biggest factor is no foreign player would ever play in your league due to security threats..so I dont know wat u guys are taking about..Currently there are bigger concerns in pakistans dan worrying about our IPL focus on dem and hopefully u guys must be allowed to play in IPL from next season.
@kaalchakra: "It’s not ego it’s self respect. Also pak players lost money for 4 years for no reason."
What do you mean they lost money? India cannot and does not stop Pakistani players from playing wherever they want in the world. When it comes to IPL, these teams are owned by Indians. They can bid for whoever they like. Pakistani players are not ENTITLED to play.
@ayesha_khan: Your commets are awesome
Look no Indian team should visit Pakistan, that is to be emphasized. We do not want players, icons and role models like Sachin Tendulkar to be put in any kind of danger.
But, if the Pakistanis are willing to tour, why should we stop them. It will generate a lot of revenues for India and create a lot of jobs.
When India refused to tour Pakistan after 2008 attacks citing security reasons, Pakistanis reciprocated when the did not allow their players to play in the IPL citing the same exact reason. The IPL was moved to South Africa and since then Pakistani players have not been picked.
What a lousy move. I don't think if Amir, Asif and Butt were to have played in IPL, they would not have felt the need to indulge in cheating to earn some money.
Not to forget the millions lost by PCB by the BCCI refusing to entertain Pakistani players on its soil.
@ayesha_khan: It's not ego it's self respect. Also pak players lost money for 4 years for no reason.
@just_someone: "Pakistan should start its own league. Since Pakistan has talked about starting its own league, IPL, fearing losing the Pakistani market, has started being friendly to Pakistan and invited the Stallions and made other friendly overtures."
You are seriously delusional. Even Bangladesh team does not come to Pakistan to play. Who will play in PPL? Did you not read the article? It is the PCB chief that has gone to India to negotiate - not the other way around.
@Sane: "@Salman: You are right. Today noone watches IPL because of exclusion of pak players, the soul of IPL. India should learn to respect this otherwise IPL will not have any future."
Pakistan was part of IPL 1 and has not been part of 4 subsequent IPLs. It has not wound up. Where do you come up with this stuff anyway?
It would be good if relations between India and Pakistan can normalize but this misplaced ego of yours needs to be checked at the door. Self-respect is a good thing, overinflated igo is not.
@Sane: "@Salman: You are right. Let the BCCI should apologise first. The IPL franchise should compansate the Pak players."
This notion of apology has made you crazy. Apologize for what? Compensate Pak players for what? IPL is an Indian event and India can choose who it wants. Please do not spew hatred...
Needs a hair-cut.
Cricket without Pakistan and India is just not the same. Bring it back!
@Sane: "@Salman: You are right. Let the BCCI should apologise first. The IPL franchise should compansate the Pak players."
InSane.
@Salman: "No thanks, we are not interested to play against India. Pakistan should play more against Aus, SA and Eng then Asian teams in order to be more competitive."
Maybe not you but people who matter like Pakistan cricket board seems to be very very very interested. Not sure if PCB will listen to your whims.
zaka ashraf is repeating afridis last year "words" in which he was whining about inclusion .
Why one of my post is not posted by ET regarding PCB ? ET get a life, you people need capable moderators.
Pakistan should start its own league. Since Pakistan has talked about starting its own league, IPL, fearing losing the Pakistani market, has started being friendly to Pakistan and invited the Stallions and made other friendly overtures. Make no mistake about it, the second something politically happens, they will drop us in a heartbeat, like they insulted our players by not picking any in '09 (or was it '10?). Then we will be left without years of potentially great competition between the talent in our country, which is superior to India's. Pakistan is a huge market and a PPL started in Pakistan where the owners are businessmen (like the NFL is the US) can result in huge economic benefits for the country as a whole and result in income that will stay in the country, as opposed to participating in the IPL where the money will just go to India.
@Salman: It was unfortunate what happened, not going into that but we should always look forward not keep looking back. Pakistan will not 'lose' any respect by playing against India! the concept of respect (ghairat) in Pakistan is taken very emotionally, too emotionally and is often non-nonsensical. There's only to gain, nothing to lose and certainly no respect. Patriotic Pakistani does not mean keep looking back, each side has its own arguments, we will eventually have to bury this, if you don't want anything positive to happen for some 'ghairat' (which I don't understand how) then it will only be Pakistan's loss. And you have been reminded earlier it is our board wanting to resume ties, not the other way round.
@Salman: You are right. Today noone watches IPL because of exclusion of pak players, the soul of IPL. India should learn to respect this otherwise IPL will not have any future.
Reviving cricketing ties is one of many steps India and Pakistan should take to normalise bilateral relationship, so that both nations continue to work towards development of its people. There are hawks on both sides who would try all possible means to ridicule, sabotage either giving contrived reasoning or use other uncivilized means like terrorists attacks. it would a slap on the face of such hawks if we succeed to build normal healthy relationship ..!! Do we have any other choice even after 66 years?
@Salman: You are right. Let the BCCI should apologise first. The IPL franchise should compansate the Pak players.
@Salman: Some people should shut up. It's 21st century, let's not continue living in the 18th century. Even China and Taiwan have trade relations, in Pakistan we have a common USA-China=enemies- conspiracy theory but we should know, contrary to our very creative conspiracy theory, USA and China have a very healthy trade/economic relationship so why should we not be friends with India? India generates all the money in cricket, we should definitely revive our ties with them, besides, it's a good way to have healthy, peaceful relations with the neighbor, nothing wrong with that.
@Salman: "No thanks, we are not interested to play against India. Pakistan should play more against Aus, SA and Eng then Asian teams in order to be more competitive."
Hello! Did you read this: "Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf is in India negotiating a revival of matches after watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) final".
So when you say "we" who exactly do you mean? Not PCB - that's for sure. Reviving cricketing ties with India is not just your PCB chairman has spoken about, it was something even your Prime Minister spoke about last year and its something your players such as Afridi have also talked about.
Two old horses from Pakistan represented IPL with one on and other off the field and both did extremely well. Wasim is surely popular in India and even figures in a number of advertisements as well. Somebody has suggested Wasim to join Pak team but why should he not join his former Captain and swing votes in his favour ?
It is indeed gratifying to learn that much desired cricket ties between India and Pakistan,which was suspended four years ago as a consequence of Mumbai terror attack,is likely to be revived in due course of time.The contributions of the president of PCB Zaka Ashraff and of the Pakistani legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram towards regenerating the cricket ties between the two countries deserve accolade.Invitation extended to Zaka Ashraff to watch the IPL final and the opportunity extended to Sialkot Stallion to participate in the Indian Cricket League are signs that cordiality is returning to cricket ties between India and Pakistan.The return of Indian/Pakistani rivalry in the International cricketing arena will enrich International cricket and bound to upgrade the cricketing standard in Asia...
i m a fan of wasim akram. he is a very nice gentelman
congratz to wasim akram, maybe he should now think about joining the pakistan national team's coaching staff. im sure he'll be a great addition
@Salman: please read the newa first. it state "Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf is in India negotiating a revival of matches after watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) final." Not other way around.
No thanks, we are not interested to play against India. Pakistan should play more against Aus, SA and Eng then Asian teams in order to be more competitive.