Since the last few weeks, the two cricketing boards of India and Pakistan have been involved in a verbal tussle, though not officially.
The Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, by India. But there were reports surfacing that India will not be travelling to Pakistan and the tournament will be taking place at a neutral venue.
This naturally didn’t go down well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also Pakistan’s former World Cup winning captain, Imran Khan. Notably, Imran Khan has also served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.
Khan has lashed out at the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) and has called the entire episode, a “sad and unfortunate affair”.
“It is a sad and unfortunate affair, the relationship between Pakistan and India. There is a lot of arrogance in the way India now behaves in the cricketing world as a superpower.
Because of their ability to generate a lot of funds, more than any other country, I think they almost dictate now as a sort of the arrogance of a super power of who they should play and who they shouldn’t,” said Pakistan to Times Radio, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
He further said that Pakistan players not playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is ‘arrogance’ from BCCI.
“I find it strange that the Indian cricket board should take it out on the Pakistan cricket players [by not allowing them to feature in the IPL] and it just reeks of arrogance.
If India doesn’t allow Pakistan to play IPL then Pakistan should not worry about it because Pakistan itself has quality young cricketers,” said Imran Khan.
Imran Khan is a World Cup winning captain
Under the astute leadership of Imran Khan, Pakistan had laid their hands on the ICC ODI World Cup 1992. They beat England in the finals by 22 runs. Wasim Akram was adjudged the player of the match in the finals after bagging 3 wickets and scoring 33 runs in just 18 balls.
Martin Crowe of New Zealand was the player of the series after he mustered 456 runs.
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