Pakistan is getting ready to conduct the ICC Champions Trophy in early 2018 and this has raised questions about whether the T20 World Cup-winning Indian side will take part. Notably, Pakistan hasn’t hosted cricket games against India for over ten years as no one knows when it will happen.
The argument has seen ex-cricketers from these nations make their views. Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian spinner, expressed reservations about potential visit to Pakistan by India pointing out the unsafe security situation.
On the other hand, Tanvir Ahmed (ex-Pakistan pacer) has openly dared the Indian team to play in Pakistan citing Pakistan’s tour of India for last year’s ODI World Cup. There is a viral social media video clip showing Tanvir Ahmed congratulating Pakistan team “for being brave and fearless enough” to go to India for playing cricket with them. In this video he invites the Indian team to come and play in his country saying that they would be safe there.
“Sher hai hum log sher hai, hum log sher hai. Hum log tere mulk me aa ke khel ke gaye hai. Aake dikha….Hum toh kah rahe hai aake khelo. Security denge, sab kuch denge tum logon ko. Aa toh sahi ek dafaa [We are lions , we are lions. We came and played cricket in your country. Come here and show. We are inviting you to come and play. We will provide security, we will give you everything. Just come once],“ said Tanvir Ahmed.
“Yeh sirf Pakistan ke playeron ka kaam hai,bhai. Sirf Pakistan ke player aate hai aur khelke chale jaate hai. Chahe jeete, chahe haare, jis tarah ki cricket khele. Woh India jaake khelke wapas aaye the. Isko kahte hai ek daler team aur daler players [It’s only the Pakistan players who do this. Only Pakistani players come and play and go back, regardless of winning or losing, and no matter how they play. They went to India and returned after playing there. This is what you call a brave team and brave players],” he added.
Pakistan has assured that all matches featuring the Indian team during the tournament will be played in Lahore, as well as housing India in the same hotel for their entire stay. The aforementioned plan aims at creating a safer environment.
The Indian cricket side declined to travel to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup and instead India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka. Since 2012, these two countries have not been involved in any bilateral series with cricketing engagements restricted by Indian government between Pakistan and India to ICC or ACC events alone.
