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| August 30, 2003 | Saturday | Rajab 1, 1424 |
Revival of India-Pakistan ties to boost cricket
PESHAWAR, Aug 29: Former Indian batsman and cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has said that with the revival of Pakistan-India ties the game will get further boost in the Asia.
Manjrekar, who scored four centuries and nine 50s in his 10-year Test and One-Day career, said that with the revival of cricket between the two neighboring countries, the mutual understanding in all sector would develop.
He said, first there should be cricket between the two countries on lower level like Under-19 and junior level so that the game found its roots in lower tiers.
Manjrekar, who scored 2043 runs for India in 37 Test, said the players of both countries want to play against each
other and the ties should be restored in the best interest of game.
While avoiding commenting on Kashmir issue, he said, cricket should not be molded with political instability. “Games between the two countries should continue that what the people of both the countries looking to”, who also scored one century and 15 half-centuries in One-Dayers, said.
“I think there is not problem among cricketers and their fans rather problem differences lie among politicians. Cricket should be kept away from politics.It is game and game should be played for the sake of the game not for politics, he opined.
He hoped that sporting ties with Pakistan would improve with the normalization of political relations.
To a question that as to why cricket was still being sidelined when steps were being taken to improve bilateral relations between the two countries, he said India’s sporting relations with Pakistan had improved a lot as the junior and senior hockey teams were playing against each other.—APP
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