Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has urged BCCI to take a step towards improving relationship with Pakistan. Currently, there is a standoff at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) over hosting rights for the upcoming Asia Cup. Pakistan is slated to host the tournament but ACC President and also BCCI Secretqary Jay Shah last year hinted at the competition being moved out. He cleared that team India will not be travelling to Pakistan amid security concerns.
In response to this, even PCB has taken a stong stance stating that if India cancels touring to Pakistan for Asia Cup, then the Men in Green will also not travel to India for the World Cup later this year. Coming back to Afridi, he was in Qatar to feature in the Legends Cricket League (LLC) and ahead of the final on Monday (March 20), he opened up on the standoff between BCCI and PCB.
He felt that India touring Pakistan will really help in bettering the relationships between the two countries. The former Pakistan captain also felt that BCCI, being a strong board, must take steps towards Pakistan and make cricket happen in the country. Afridi quashed all the possibilities of threat citing example of other teams touring Pakistan in recent times.
"It would have been really nice if India had come. It would have been a step towards Cricket and Pakistan for India. This is not the generation of wars and fights. We want relationships to get better. What can we do if we want to befriend someone and he does not talk to us? There is no doubt that the BCCI is a very strong board, but when you are strong, you have more responsibility. You don’t try to make more enemies, you need to make friends," Afridi said.
Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi led the Asia Lions in the LLC tournament and ended up winning the trophy with a comprehensive win over World Giants in the final.
