Pakistan PM Imran Khan Has Solid Reason Why Arch-rivals Can't Play Bilateral Series Right Now

Pakistan prime minister and former cricket team skipper Imran Khan has said that the neighbours cannot play a bilateral series right now, since according to him, it would be terrible atmosphere on the ground.

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India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13, when the latter toured India for two T20Is and three ODIs.

One of the greatest all rounders to have ever graced the game, Imran also talked about his fond memories of playing against India.

“If I have time to watch cricket, I time it to the last 5 overs of the result. If it’s a close game, it’s quite fun to watch,” Imran said on the Out Of Exile documentary on Sky Sports as quoted by PakPassion.

“As a connoisseur of cricket, I don’t enjoy T20. I enjoy the improvisation in strokeplay, I look at the T20 games and think why didn’t I try to develop those strokes. But I just love good quality Test cricket, but for that, I don’t have much time.

“I played two series in India. One in 1979 when the two governments were trying to come close. I can’t tell you how wonderful the atmosphere was on the cricket field. Big crowds.

“The next time I went was in 1987 and this time, there was tension between the two governments I saw hostility in India which I had never seen before. Our players were being pelted from the ground and I made them wear helmets while fielding at the boundary. It wasn’t a very good atmosphere on certain grounds.

“When India came to Pakistan in 2005, again the governments were trying to get close. I never thought I would see on a cricket ground what happened. Pakistan lost to India in Pakistan and the crowds cheered the Indian team. Great atmosphere.

“Right now, playing cricket in this atmosphere with this sort of a government in power, I would imagine it would be a terrible atmosphere on the cricket ground.

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“There’s nothing quite like the Ashes for the English. But Pakistan-India series is just in a different league in terms of tension, pressure, and enjoyment.”