'Why should we run behind India?'- Former PCB Chairman opens up on Indo-Pak bilateral series

In the aftermath of terror attacks at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 2008, there has been a stern relationship between India and Pakistan. The last bilateral series between both nations took place in 2012. Since then, both the countries have been up against each other in only multilateral tournaments.

Over the years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play the bilateral series on neutral grounds, but the latter has not reciprocated well. In a recent interview, former PCB chairman Ehsan Mani claimed that the board has not tried to resume any cricketing action with India in his presence. He thinks that India should play the anchor role in this aspect. 

"I always made it clear that if they want to play, they will come and play Pakistan. I never said no but I've always maintained that we have our own integrity, our honour. Why should we run behind India? We should not. When they are ready, only then we will be ready too," Mani told Cricket Pakistan.

The former cricketer and present PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja had floated the idea of a four-nation T20 tournament featuring India, Pakistan, Australia, and England in front of the International Cricket Council (ICC) last month. But, the plan received a red flag in a recent meeting. The council suggested that it couldn't find the right time to schedule the proposed tournament in the busy Future Tours Programme (FTP). 

Raja has been quite vocal about the resumption of cricket between India and Pakistan and pressed on the fact that the tickets for the fixture between both the nations of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Melbourne were sold out in a record time. He further added politics could be set aside, as the cricket fans enjoy the competition between the arch-rivals.

"Whenever I talk about India and Pakistan, it's not always as the chairman of a Cricket Board. But it's the cricketer that comes out. And as a cricketer, I'll say that politics can be set aside because why should the fans not enjoy India-Pakistan games," Raja told Indian Express.

"The numbers and the figures are there for everyone to see why it is still the best competition in the world. And somehow, we've got to make it happen," he concluded.