Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has praised Team India captain Rohit Sharma for showing his eagerness to play Test series against the arch-rivals regularly. Afridi believes that resuming the India-Pakistan Test rivalry regularly will improve the relationship between the two countries via the sport.
“Bilkul bahut acha jawab hai, hona bhi yahi chahiye (very good answer, the series should happen). A positive statement from an Indian captain. He is also an ambassador of India. We have always said that the relationship between Pakistan and India…..sports -especially cricket – has played an important role in it,” Afridi said on Samaa TV.
“We used to go to India and play cricket there. These things build relationship….padosi hai padosiyo ka haq hota relationship jitna behtar ho utna acha hai (it’s neighbours right to have a good relationship),” he added.
Earlier, the Team India captain spoken in favor of regular Test series vs Pakistan. The last time the two arch-rivals faced off in a Test series was in 2007 in Bengaluru. Team India had won the three-Test series by a 1-0 margin.
On the podcast “Club Prairie Fire with Michael Vaughan, the former England captain asked Rohit: “Don’t you think India playing Pakistan regularly will be fantastic for Test cricket?”
“I totally believe that! They are a good team,” Rohit replied.
“They have got superb bowling line-up. I think it would be a good contest, especially if you play in the overseas condition. That would be awesome.
“Last test match played between India and Pakistan was way back I think in 2006 or 2008 (2007), where Wasim Jaffar got a double hundred in Kolkata,” he added.
India and Pakistan will face-off in the T20 World Cup 2024 match in New York on June 9.
The two sides have faced off seven times in the marquee event, with Team India emerging victorious on six occasions, including the epic bowl out and the finale in 2007, and most recently, through Virat Kohli’s sensational run in Melbourne 2002.