Sourav Ganguly can bring back bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, feels Rashid Latif

India and Pakistan share a hostile attitude towards one another thanks to various problems at the border and the Kashmir issue. It was due to the same reason that after the India tour to Pakistan in 1989, the next time the two teams faced each other in a bilateral series was in 1999 when India hosted the Pakistani side.

However, with the Kargil War happening the same year, the two neighbours faced each other only in ICC events, the 1999 World Cup to be highlighted. But new grounds were broken, as India toured Pakistan in a historic series in 2004, which saw Sourav Ganguly’s side beat Inzamam-Ul-Haq’s Pakistan 3-2 in ODI series and 2-1 in Test series. Regarding that series, former Pak captain Rashid Latif has now made a stellar revelation.

Sourav Ganguly had convinced BCCI to send Team India to Pakistan: Rashid Latif

Things were getting normal between the two countries as Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee travelled in a bus in 1999, but cricket was still far away. But finally, in 2004, the ice broke and India toured Pakistan for the first time after 1989. However, Rashid Latif revealed that things happened because Sourav Ganguly, the then captain convinced the BCCI and other members of Team India to go ahead.

“In 2004, when the BCCI was reluctant to tour Pakistan, it was (Sourav) Ganguly, who persuaded the BCCI and players. It was a highly memorable tour for India as they managed to win big here after a long gap,” Latif was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Latif was happy with Ganguly becoming the BCCI President and said that PCB must talk to him in order to resume the bilateral ties between the two countries, as it is the only thing that will bring cricket back into the country full-time despite Sri Lanka touring Pakistan in over a decade. He said the world wants India-Pakistan cricket.

“As a cricketer and BCCI President, Ganguly can help (Ehsan) Mani and the PCB. Unless full-fledged Pakistan-India bilateral series resumes, things won’t improve for both countries. The world wants to see Pak-India playing cricket. PCB CEO Wasim Khan should also play his active part to ensure top cricket-playing nations come and tour Pakistan as it will help Pakistan cricket and local players,” Latif further added.

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