Asian Cup: ‘Cricket spreads love’ India should have come and played in Pakistan, says Intikhab Alam

Indian players in action. (FILE)

What is this hybrid model? I can’t understand it. In a very strange way, Pakistan has been given four or five matches and the rest of the series will take place in Sri Lanka. It does not make any sense. During the World Cup again, we will see Pakistan play their matches elsewhere, if they stick to this hybrid model proposal.

Do you think cricket can survive without India and Pakistan? Our cricketers draw huge crowds, the ICC made tons of money from an India-Pakistan match. There is no relevance of any ICC cricket tournament if India and Pakistan are not playing against each other. My only request to our politicians is that, instead of drawing their swords, they let both teams play. Let the cricketers assemble. Let them learn from each other. let them travel

Cricket se hi pyar mohabbat badh shakti hai aur koi tareeka nahi hai. Ye chand log wo door bhi chahte karna karna chahte hai (Cricket is the only thing that can reduce animosity and can spread love and friendship between two countries. That is the only way, but unfortunately, few people on both sides of the border want to close the door of the only hope.)

I have always held that India and Pakistan should play regularly. India and Pakistan are required to play bilateral series every two years. The BCCI and the PCB should use cricket as the goose that lays the golden eggs. Imagine the interest Test cricket will receive if India and Pakistan start playing regularly. People will remember the performance. We talk about the Chennai Test when the entire crowd gave the Pakistan team a standing ovation or Viru (Virender Sehwag) becoming sultan of Multan.

In our time, after the end of the game day, some veteran players from Pakistan used to go to the Indian locker room for tea; The next day the Indian team would visit our locker room. Such talks used to be very fruitful for young cricketers. Si Zaheer Abbas, Bishan Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar, Imran Khan are sharing their experiences, what more do you need? The current generation will never get to see the cricket rivalry between Bishan Singh Bedi vs Zaheer Abbas, Sunil Gavaskar vs Javed Miandad, Kapil Dev vs Imran Khan, Sachin Tendulkar against Wasim Akram. In the last decade, we missed out on what could have been a great contest between virat kohli vs Mohammed Amir and if the situation remains the same we will not be able to see how Shubman Gill deals with Shaheen Shah Afridi’s inswinging deliveries. We must play regularly for the sake of our next generation.

Social media, YouTubers, ex-cricketers and TV presenters have also played a big role in spreading the nuisance. It is very harmful. One should not listen to such people, who only spit poison. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has become a cricket expert. They will shoot a video, talk nonsense and put it on social networks for a few likes and comments. YouTubers have become influential now and for the audience, they would do anything and I don’t know who will control them. Their existence is not healthy for our cricket relationship because most of them don’t know the game.

I have been to India so many times. I have played there as a manager, as a captain, I coached the Punjab Ranji Trophy team for two years. I never felt like I was in another country… hum ek hi hai (We are one). I have made so many lifelong friends. The cricket is the only thing that can bury the hatchet and bring people closer.

I still have a great relationship with Bishan Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar. Over the years, our relationship has gone from strength to strength. They are like my extended family. Bishan Bedi came to Kartarpur to meet me. Our families met, it was a very emotional moment. I don’t think there should be any restrictions. I hope there will come a day when we don’t need a visa to meet our friends.

Cricketers always have mutual love and mutual respect and no politician will be able to eradicate that. Even now, we play very few matches, but the way our cricketers greet each other after the match is so nice to see. They have maintained that historical tradition of brotherhood.

As a cricket lover, I still have hope that wo subah kabhi toh aayegi (That dawn will come one day).

Intikhab Alam is a former captain and coach of Pakistan. He talked to Pratyush Raj.