Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq wishes for the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan. The 51-year-old said that the India-Pakistan series was followed much more than The Ashes, and for the betterment of the players, the bilateral series must resume.
Inzamam was the skipper of Pakistan when India visited for a historical series in 2004 and emerged victorious in both ODI and Test series under Sourav Ganguly. The following year, Pakistan toured India and defeated them in the ODIs, while drawing the Test series. The last time the two teams played a bilateral series was in 2012-13, in which Pakistan defeated India by 2-1 in a three-match ODI series.
“India-Pakistan series was followed much more than The Ashes, and people thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment. For the betterment of the game and the players, it is important to have the Asia Cup and also bilateral series between India and Pakistan,” Inzamam told Sportstar in an interview.
The legendary batsman recalls how the bilateral series used to be a great opportunity for the youngsters to seek advice from the senior players.
“When we would play against each other, it was a great feeling. In those bilateral series, it was also an opportunity for the young cricketers to learn a thing or two from the senior players. Be it a Sachin Tendulkar or a Sourav Ganguly or Mohammad Azharuddin or Javed Miandad, the youngsters could just walk up to them and pick their brains. That was a fantastic opportunity to improve one’s game,” said Inzamam.
“The on-field rivalry was intense, but at the end of the day, players respected each other and shared camaraderie. Meri toh bari khwayaish hain ke yeh cheez dobara shuru ho jayein ( I wish this [India-Pakistan series] resumes),” added Inzamam.
