PCB chief Ehsan Mani
The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ehsan Mani on Tuesday expressed that Pakistan cricket does not need India to survive despite the financial losses they have incurred, calling the situation a 'pie in the sky', while also calling India as 'unreliable'.
India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series back in 2008. Ever since, the two arch-rivals have only met in Asia Cup tournaments and ICC events. And despite talks from Pakistan about playing India in a neutral venue, they have always been subdued. Mani feels that cricket in Pakistan is still vibrant despite any bilateral series against Pakistan.
"We have suffered losses but they (India) are not in our thinking or planning. It is like a Pie in the Sky situation. We have to live without them and we don't need them to survive," he said in a podcast released by the PCB's media department. "I am clear if India doesn't want to play we have to plan without them. Once or twice they have made promises to play against us but pulled out at the last moment."
Mani also added that he does not see the possibility of a bilateral series happening between the two nations in the forseeable future.
"Right now we play against them (India) in ICC events and Asia Cup and that is okay because we are interested in playing cricket. We want to keep politics and sports apart," he said.
