Karachi: Indian captain Rohit Sharma recently emphasized the importance of resuming bilateral cricket matches against Pakistan and said it could bring significant benefits to red-ball cricket.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi also gave a positive response to Rohit’s remarks and said that such matches can improve the relationship between the two countries.
In a recent discussion on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, former England captain Michael Vaughan asked Rohit whether the series against Pakistan would benefit Test cricket. The Indian skipper has expressed his desire for such a tournament and sees it as an interesting contest between his two rivals.
Responding to Rohit’s comments, Afridi praised the Indian captain for his “positive words”. He highlighted the important role of cricket in improving the relationship between Pakistan and India and said that it can help resolve the differences between the two countries.
“Of course, the answer is very good. These things build relationships. It’s good to have a good relationship with neighbors,” Afridi said on a local news channel.
It should be noted that India and Pakistan have not played in a bilateral Test series since 2007, their last meeting was when Pakistan toured India. India won the round 1-0. Bilateral cricket between the two rivals has been almost non-existent since the 2012-13 season, with their encounters limited to international tournaments such as the ICC World Cup and Asia Cup.
Pak-India matches could enhance ties between two nations: Afridi
