Younis Khan : India and Pakistan should resume cricketing ties
Veteran cricketer Younis Khan has urged India and Pakistan to set aside their political differences and resume their Test cricket rivalry. The 38-year-old insists that a clash between the No.1 and No.2 Test sides will generate a lot of interest and will be good for the promotion of the game.
"It`s my wish to play a Test in Pakistan again, play against India and against all top teams.
"India and Pakistan are two giants of cricket -- one number one and the other number two -- so whatever the situation between the two nations it must be forgotten and cricket should be played, people want to watch them play," Younis told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur had ruled out the possibility of a bilateral series against Pakistan, and following the Uri attack had requested the International Cricket Council to not place the Asian neighbours in the same group during the preliminary stages of global competitions. However, Rajiv Shukla, who is chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, said the Board was not against playing Pakistan but were concerned about the security and are willing to play them if the government gives the nod.
Younis Khan, who was part of the squad which took part in the last Test match between India and Pakistan in 2007, feels that resuming India and Pakistan's Test rivalry is paramount for the promotion of the game.
"Whenever we play India people watch the game with unmatched interest and the game gets good promotion in the region, it should be played and played regularly," Younis said, reported AFP.
The 38-year-old, who missed the first Test between Pakistan and West Indies in Abu Dhabi due to a dengue fever, is set to return to the team for the second Test. Younis, who is Pakistan's highest run getter in Test with 9,456 runs, is closing in on the 10,000-run mark.
"I never go after records.
"It`s my wish to be in that elite group of 10,000 runs because there is no Pakistani in that group," Younis said.
The former Pakistani skipper also believes that popularity of Test cricket is on the rise again. He said, "People now talk about us as a Test team and people who used to stay away from Tests are now coming back,” he said.
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