Shoaib Akhtar wishes to be the Peace Ambassador for Kashmir Premier League

The Kashmir Premier League (KPL) has attracted a lot of attention in the last few days and unfortunately, it hasn’t been for good reasons. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been on their toes and have reportedly written to the International Cricket Council (ICC), asking them to not recognize the tournament. 

Quite interestingly, the tournament has been approved by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). In the recent past, the cricket boards of India and Pakistan have not shared good relations. There were even reports that the BCCI had warned cricketers to stay away from the KPL, an allegation that is yet to be confirmed by the board. 

In the middle of all of this, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has taken a stand for the tournament. He has posted a tweet in which he has written that he will be joining the KPL as its Peace Ambassador. The biggest allegation has come from PCB itself, who have accused the BCCI of warning other cricket boards from allowing their players to go and take part in the KPL. 

It’s about building bridges and promoting peace: Shoaib Akhtar

 “Why such a fuss between @kpl_20 & BCCI. It’s about building bridges and promoting peace. Really appreciate all of you for the trend #ShoaibAkhtarPeaceAmbassador So I’ll be joining as Peace Ambassador for KPL :)”, wrote Akhtar on Twitter. The KPL is set to begin in the disputed area between India and Pakistan, which is referred to as Azad Kashmir (free Kashmir). 

Why such a fuss between @kpl_20 & BCCI. It’s about building bridges and promoting peace.
Really appreciate all of you for the trend #ShoaibAkhtarPeaceAmbassador
So I'll be joining as Peace Ambassador for KPL 🙂

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 2, 2021

There are six teams in the KPL – Overseas Warriors, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Rawalakot Hawks, Bagh Stallions, Mirpur Royals, and Kotli Lions. A host of overseas and Pakistan players are supposed to play in the competition. On top of that, the tournament is being created with the assistance and guidance of the Pakistan Cricket Board. 

Kashmir is the place where there has been political tensions between India and Pakistan since its independence from the British and subsequent partition. The dispute has affected cricket as well. The dispute between the two countries over Kashmir is one of the major reasons why India and Pakistan have not played a single bilateral series since 2012-13.