‘Indian government preventing series against Pakistan’

KARACHI: A day after Sarfraz Ahmed declared that Indian are scared of taking on Pakistan on the cricket field, two of his seniors have expressed contrasting views.

Pakistan’s Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq and former skipper Shahid Afridi limited-overs skipper Sarfaraz Ahmad’s claims that the Indian team was scared of playing against Pakistan and that was why the Indo-Pak bilateral series was not happening.

The two stalwarts said they don’t believe that the Indian team was not prepared or was afraid of playing against Pakistan.

“Sarfaraz has his own views but I don’t think he said they were scared directly. To me it is simple, everyone knows the reasons for India not playing against Pakistan. It is all political and has nothing to do with cricket,” Misbah told reporters at the ICC Champions Trophy unveiling at the national stadium here on Thursday.

“I think the Indian team players also would like to play against us but it is politics which is not allowing a bilateral series. It is the Indian government which is not allowing it,” he said.

Misbah said it was a pity that India and Pakistan were not playing bilateral series as he knew people from both countries wanted to see the two teams play against each other regularly.

“It is a great loss to cricket that we are not playing against each other like we should. We are achieving nothing by not playing against each other.”

He noted that even the Champions Trophy June 4 clash in England between the two teams was already sold out.

Afridi minced no words in stating that the Indian government would have to change its stance if bilateral cricket has to resume between Pakistan and India.

“If there is no bilateral cricket being played it is because of the Indian government. I don’t think the Indian players do not want to play against us,” said Afridi who announced retirement from international cricket last month.