India won't come to Pakistan for Asia Cup because they are afraid of losing: Imran Nazir

Former Pakistan opener Imran Nazir has made a controversial remark on India’s decision to not come to Pakistan for this year’s Asia Cup. He claimed that India is "scared" to lose and that is what is stopping them from coming to Pakistan to participate in the tournament.

Nazir also said that citing security concerns as a reason is just an "excuse." Notably, the 2023 Asia Cup has become a matter of contention between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

"There is no security reason. Just look at how many teams have been to Pakistan. Forget A teams, even Australia visited. These are all just cover-ups. The truth is that India won't come to Pakistan [for Asia Cup] because they are afraid of losing. Security is just an excuse. Come and play cricket. When you start playing politics, there is no way back," Nazir said on the Nadir Ali podcast.

Meanwhile, India’s matches in the tournament are likely to be shifted to neutral venues, while the games of other teams could be held in Pakistan. India’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup. The Men in Blue reached the final, where they went down to Sri Lanka by 100 runs. Following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, the bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries have come to a near standstill. However, Pakistan last visited India for a short white-ball series in the 2012-13 season.

‘All my joints had gotten damaged and I suffered for almost 6-7 years’ - Imran Nazir makes staggering claim

Imran Nazir also made a staggering claim that he was poisoned and suffered a lot as his joints had to be treated for almost 10 years. The Pakistan cricketer claimed that he was given mercury, stating it as ‘slow poison.’ The 41-year-old also said that he couldn’t figure out who has given him that. 

 “When I recently got treated, including MRI and all, a statement was issued that I was given poison – Mercury. It is a slow poison; it reaches your joint and damages them. For 8-10 years, all my joints were treated. All my joints had gotten damaged and for this reason, I suffered for almost 6-7 years. But even then, I prayed to God, ‘Please don’t make me bedridden’. And thankfully, that never happened,” Nazir further said.

“I used to walk around and all when people used to ask ‘You’re looking fine’. Nazir added, “I doubted a lot of people but when and what did I eat, I cannot figure out. Because the poison doesn’t react instantly. It kills you for years. I still never wished bad for whoever did this. The person saving is better than the one who wants to kill," he added.

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