KARACHI, Nov 29: India must tour Pakistan in January despite this week’s bloodshed in Mumbai, senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf said on Saturday.

Yousuf and nine other Pakistanis who were playing in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) have returned home after their matches were cancelled in the wake of the Mumbai attacks last Wednesday.

“Cricket is a big thing and a binding force for the people of Pakistan and India. The Indian team must play in Pakistan or it will only encourage the terrorist elements,” Yousuf told reporters at the Karachi airport.

“It is also important to continue cricket activities,” added the veteran of 79 Tests. “What happened in Mumbai was horrifying but authorities must not allow terrorists to derail cricket activities.”

Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, meanwhile, expressed fears the Mumbai attacks could mar relations between India and his country.

“Cricket has always played its role in normalising relations between the two countries and I feel it is now all the more necessary for India to tour Pakistan and vice versa,” Moin said.

—Reuters