If Pakistan takes two steps India will take many: Sunil Gavaskar to Imran Khan

The tensions between India and Pakistan have increased over the last one week owing to the shambolic Pulwama Attacks in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, February 14. The incident was a witness to 40 CRPF jawans being martyred after the attack by Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad with the assistance of Adil Ahmad Dar, the suicide bomber.

Many cricketers, including the likes of Harbhajan Singh, has mentioned that India should revoke all its cricketing ties with Pakistan. In the meantime, former Indian cricketer refrained from commenting on those words by the Indian off-spinner. Moreover, he also asked Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, to take the first step towards peace between the two nations.

Wasim is my friend, Shoaib Akhtar is my friend

“I don’t want to react to what these young players have suggested but if I may speak directly – Imran, when you took over, you said it was going to be a new Pakistan. You said India should take one step and Pakistan will take two steps.

I want to say that Pakistan should be the one to take the first step. You ensure that those in Pakistan creating problems – maybe to the United Nations,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview with India Today.

“You take those two friendly steps and then see the many steps India will take. I am no politician. You are my friend, Wasim is my friend, Shoaib Akhtar is my friend. You take that first step. Let old Pakistan stay. You take that first step, and then see the number of friendly steps India will take,” he added.

“I listened to him when he told me not to retire, I hope he listens to me. He told me “when I am going to retire in England,”he told me not to. He told me Pakistan are coming to India and Pakistan wants to beat India and it won’t be the same without you. But that was on the field. This is completely different. This touches a lot, lot more lives than a game cricket.”

Gavaskar, the member of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad also said that calling off the World Cup match between India and Pakistan won’t do any good to the tournament as the other teams may not agree to it.

The 69-year-old rather remarked beating their arch-rivals in the mega event should be the way forward. The marquee encounter is scheduled to be played on Sunday, June 16 at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

“I know India are strong enough to qualify by not playing Pakistan. Not playing bilaterally hurts them. But it’s a World Cup, it’s two points…,” Gavaskar said.

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