Imran hails India-Pakistan cricket revival

India has invited Pakistan for a short limited overs series in December-January.


Afp July 17, 2012

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Pakistan team captain Imran Khan on Tuesday hailed the revival of cricketing ties with India, saying the resumption of one of the world's great rivalries was good for the sport.

India on Monday invited Pakistan for a short limited overs series in December-January, the first bilateral encounter between the neighbours in five years.

India stalled cricketing ties with Pakistan in the wake of terror attacks on Mumbai in November 2008, which were blamed on militants based across the border.

"I welcome India's decision to revive cricket with Pakistan," Khan told reporters. "Anything which can bring both the countries to negotiations and normalcy is very good and we must appreciate that."

The thaw came after President Asif Ali Zardari asked Indian premier Manmohan Singh to restore cricketing ties during a lunch meeting in New Delhi in April this year.

India also invited Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions Sialkot Stallions for the Champions League to be held in South Africa this year.

Khan, who captained Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992, said India and Pakistan playing each other was a boost for world cricket.

"The prospect of India and Pakistan playing against each other is a good news for international cricket because these matches are followed by millions across the world," said Khan.

Khan said the high tension in an India-Pakistan match made it special cricket.

"The Indo-Pak matches are special because of the high tension and whoever deals with that extreme pressure comes out winner," said Khan.

The two sides met in the World Cup semi-final in the Indian city of Mohali in April last year, with India running out winners by 29 runs.

"That semi-final in Mohali is a good example of the tension and the excitement. India committed a lot of mistakes in that match but they won because Pakistan did more mistakes in comparison and that's why they lost," said Khan.

COMMENTS (21)

Tony Singh | 11 years ago | Reply

@GreenOval: No game is more important than justice. One can't play games while the other country plays "games" with lives of fellow citizens

Shabbir | 11 years ago | Reply

Inviting any Pakistan representative/ambassador for any such reason except to bring the 26/11 perpetrators and their masters sitting in that country will ring the death knell of the already miserable ruling coalition of India. They have no, i repeat absolutely none reason to feel they or the country will benefit in the short or long term with this brainless idea to open doors after having shut them for a reason.

Whatever happened to that reason! We can say with reasonable surety therefore that it will NOT happen.

Personally being a Indian i do NOT want relations with that state. And i am the majority, yes India is a functioning democracy :-)

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