India don't need to play Pakistan to raise money, opines Kapil Dev

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev, on Thursday, slapped Shoaib Akhtar's idea of a three-match ODI series between India and Pakistan with his opinion saying "India doesn't need the money". The Pakistan veteran had vocalised his idea of conducting a closed-door series, which he believed would help raise funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. Dev said it is not worth risking lives for a cricket match and called the execution of the idea unfeasible. He also reminded that the BCCI have already donated a huge sum for the cause. 

"He is entitled to his opinion but we don't need to raise the money. We have enough. For us, what is important right now is that how our authorities work together to deal with this crisis. I am still seeing a lot of blame game on television from the politicians and that needs to stop. Anyway, the BCCI has donated a hefty amount (Rs 51 crore) for the cause and is in a position to donate much more if the need arises. It doesn't need to raise funds," Dev told PTI.

"The situation is unlikely to get normal anytime soon and organising a cricket game means putting our cricketers at risk which we don't need. It is just not worth the risk. And how much money can you make from three games? In my view, you can't even think of cricket for the next five to six months.”

The Indian World Cup-winning captain also stressed that the only focus, at the moment, should only be on saving lives and financially aiding the poor who are struggling to make ends meet in a lockdown situation. He further said that sports will only resume once normalcy is achieved. 

"Cricket will resume when things get normal. The game can't be bigger than the country. The pressing issue is to look after the poor, the hospital workers, the police and all other people who are on the frontline of this war. There is nothing bigger than life at the moment and that is what we need to save," he added.