Ultimate winner: Pakistan-India cricket will resume, says Ramiz Raja

Former batsman believes tension between both the countries is nothing new

Former cricketer Ramiz Raja believes Pakistan and India will get down to playing cricket despite the deteriorating relations between both the countries following Shiv Sena’s attack on BCCI headquarters on Monday.

"I am certain, eventually cricket will be the winner. Sooner or later India and Pakistan will get down to playing cricket again despite the current bleak scenario," Ramiz told a local news channel, quoted by NDTV.

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Raja thinks tension between both the countries is nothing new but termed umpire Aleem Dar being stopped from officiating as 'sad'.

"There have always been highs and lows in Indo-Pak relations but I have never been made to feel unwelcome anywhere in India," he said. "Similarly if Aleem is in India obviously the ICC must have thought about it...I don't see any threat to him."

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PCB was right in trying to keep cricket and politics apart, the former cricketer added.

"It is good they have again taken the initiative to convince India to play the series in December. Such efforts have to continue to eventually break the ice," he said. "Cricket has always brought a thaw in relations and improved it from my experience."

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"Indo-Pak series is overall important for cricket itself and the financial benefits of such matches is immense for all stakeholders," added Raja.

'Another setback'

Meanwhile, former skipper Muhammad Yousuf termed the Monday's another setback to revival of bilateral series between Pakistan and India.

"Already there is so much going on and this incident will only put back chances of the series being held in December," he said. "It is unfortunate but I think a vast majority of even Indian people want the series to go ahead as planned," Yousuf told the Press Trust of India.