Shahid Afridi has his say on the BCCI-PCB row, says he wants the relationship to improve

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at loggerheads over the 2023 tournament, Afridi is pitching for an amicable resolution between the two cricketing bodies.

Last year, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had announced that India would not participate in the tournament unless it was shifted to a neutral venue. The PCB, in retaliation, said that it would boycott the World Cup set to be held in India.

“It would have been really nice if India had come. It would have been a step towards cricket and Pakistan for India. This is not a generation of wars and fights, we want relationships to get better,” Afridi said.

The all-rounder also reminisced about a time when India and Pakistan were playing each other, speaking of the warm welcomes both sets of players received in the other country.

“We have played against India with a lot of love and affection. I remember when we came to India, we got an outstanding response. If you remember the 2005 series, Harbhaja and Yuvraj used to go shopping and to restaurants, and no one used to charge them money. This is the beauty of the two nations,” said Afridi in a press conference for Legends League Cricket.

Afridi spoke of the BCCI’s standing and hoped that the cricketing behemoth would budge on its stance. “What can we do if we want to befriend someone and he does not talk to us? There is no doubt that the BCCI is a very strong board, but when you are strong, you have more responsibility. You don’t try to make more enemies, you need to make friends. When you make more friends, you become stronger,” he added.

2008 was the last time India visited Pakistan – for the Asia Cup – with the last bilateral series in Pakistan taking place during 2006. The teams have not played each other on their respective home soil since 2016, when Pakistan visited India for the T20 Wrld Cup.

“I will request Modi sahab to let cricket happen between both countries,” Afridi added.