Cricketing ties should resume between India and Pakistan, feels Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq Ahmed believes that there should be more bilateral series between archrivals India and Pakistan in order to improve the relations between the two countries. The two last played each other in a bilateral series back in 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India for 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is.
Due to tensed geo-political situations between India and Pakistan, the Government of India had decided to cut ties with Pakistan. This also led to the end of the bilateral cricketing ties between the two countries and Mushtaq believes that cricket could bring the two nations together.
"I think cricketing ties should resume between India and Pakistan. I feel cricket has the ability to bind the two nations and improve their relationship. Cricket brings love, it brings joy and happiness to the fans," Mushtaq told IANS.
"Thus, it is important for both the countries to play cricket against each other because fans want to watch them play. Whenever India and Pakistan meet, the cricket is highly competitive. In fact, the India-Pakistan series is bigger than the Ashes," he asserted.
The ties between the two countries seemed to have taken for the worse when the Indian government revoked Article 370 which ended the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. However, the recent opening of the Kartarpur corridor is seen as a positive sign that things between the two nations can still improve. Mushtaq believes that since cricket is a huge part of the culture of both countries, it will help the politicians carry out proper measures to improve the situation and provide a roadmap that will lead to peace and development.
"When we will play cricket, things will become easier. It provides politicians with a great opportunity to communicate and set things on the right track. And that's why I think communication needs to be there between the two governments," Mushtaq stated.
"Both countries should sit and discuss the situation and their problems. The recent opening of the Kartarpur Corridor is a great initiative for both nations. All issues can be solved when communication takes place. And sports, particularly cricket, can play a very big role in improving the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan," he concluded.