It will be good for global cricket if India and Pakistan play against each other: PCB chairman Ehsan Mani

India-Pakistan matches always come with excitement and thrill. Whenever the arch-rivals lock horns with each other in any format of the sport, the vigour and competitiveness are at its peak. Both the cricket-obsessed nations try their best to prove dominance over each other, resulting in a nail-biting thriller for fans of both the teams.

However, due to the stern relations between both nations, India and Pakistan have been only facing each other in ICC events and Asia Cups. PCB Chairman, on the absence of a bilateral series between the two India and Pakistan, has said that it will be good for the health of global cricket if both the countries play. Mani also highlighted that India-Pakistan matches are the most-watched encounters in the world.

“Pakistan-India matches are the most-watched cricket matches in the world. However, apart from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, we do not play against each other due to the policy of the Indian government.

It will be good for the health of global cricket if we play against each other, however, in our planning, we do not take into account any bilateral series against India,” said Mani as quoted by Cricbuzz.

We hope that we will complete by the end of 2020: Ehsan Mani

Mani also said that the PCB had no issues with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He even opened up on the feasibility of the Asia Cup 2020. The much-awaited tournament, which has been postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to fall in the hands of Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan.

“I do not have a fear that some countries will put their interests ahead of what is good for the game as a whole. We all owe a duty of care to the global game and the well-being of world cricket and not put our short term interests before it,” said Mani.

“The Sri Lankan Cricket Board and PCB agreed some time ago that Sri Lanka would host the next Asia Cup instead of Pakistan, as it is more likely that Sri Lanka will be in a position to host it as the COVID-19 impact there appears to be in better control than in most countries in our region,” he added.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) was also postponed before the commencement of the semi-finals as COVID-19 situation aggravated across the globe with time. Mani, about the remaining matches of the tournament, said that they’re hoping to complete the PSL by the end of this year. “We hope that we will complete the season by the end of this year,” said the PCB chairman.