Inzy Against Cutting Ties Borne out of Cricket

Former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul Haq, thinks India needs to retain faith and slams the PCB for overlooking the dearth of Tests in his own country.

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Inzamam-ul Haq is no longer part of the official cricket set up in Pakistan since joining up for the ICL for the Lahore Badshahs. However, that has not stopped him from feeling for Pakistan cricket and those feelings poured out rather effusively.

On India not Touring…

Inzamam had a scathing view of things which included stating that if India did not undertake its commitment to tour Pakistan and side with its own Asian neighbour, foreign countries would develop an even more cynical view of things. He said it was up to countries like India and Pakistan to show faith and trust in each other in order to ensure that other Test playing nations followed suit in the interests of keeping the game alive in the sub continent. He felt that it did not make sense for neighbours to take it out on each other only to damage their image in the rest of the world.

On England touring India…

Inzy felt England had done the right thing by coming back to India in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror strikes. In his opinion, they did the right thing and ensured that faith was, in many ways, restored and a sign of strength in the days to come and optimistic of cricketing ties in the sub continent.

On questioning India’s logic…

On the same note, Inzamam said he was baffled to understand why if England decided to tour India as a matter of trust and in the spirit of restoring faith in the game in the sub continent, why India were not willing to view things from a similar perspective?

On Pak’s threat to break ties…

Inzamam though is reluctant to sever all ties with India or in terms of playing cricket with Pakistan’s neighbour should India indeed abort the tour to Pakistan, which has looked more likely in recent days. Ejaz Butt and Javed Miandad talked in veiled tones that the PCB would have to bow to pressure to recognize its ICL players, especially if India refused to tour.

Inzamam is unwilling to go by calls to boycott all cricket with India and relations on those lines should India not comply in early 2009. Rashid Latif had stated earlier that Pakistan should boycott IPL and ICL if India renege on their original commitment.

On Test cricket seeking drought…

Inzamam was equally critical of matters on the domestic front, slamming the PCB was not being more proactive in engaging in ICC’s Future Tours Programme. It has meant that Pakistan not only lost out on the proposed Test series with Australia earlier in the year but also, had no other Test match tour planned for the year. Pakistan now face a major void where they have gone through 2008 without a single Test, with some of their best players languishing in the nets and if India do not tour, Pakistan are set to go on further into a Test drought.

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