'Pakistan cricket is bigger': Javed Miandad doesn't want his team to travel to India for World Cup

Cricket great Javed Miandad doesn’t want Pakistan to travel to India for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup unless BCCI sends its team to his nation first.

India were to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asian Cup but the tournament will be now hosted on a hybrid model with Men in Blue playing their matches in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan team is scheduled to play against India in the ODI World Cup on 15 October at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, according to the draft schedule.

Miandad said while Pakistan have travelled to India in the recent past, BCCI has not reciprocated in the same manner and hence his national team should not travel to the neighbouring country.

“Pakistan has been to India in 2012 and even in 2016 now it is the turn of the Indians to come here,” Miandad said.

“If I had to make a decision I would never go to India to play any match, even the World Cup. We are always ready to play them [India] but they never respond in the same manner.

“Pakistan cricket is bigger…we are still producing quality players. So I don’t think even if we don’t go to India it will make any difference to us,” he added.

India’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup.

The bilateral cricket between the two nations has been on hold since 2008 due to geopolitical tensions between the two countries. They only play against each other in ICC or Asian Cricket Council events.

Miandad added that sports not be mixed with politics.

“I always say one can’t choose its neighbours, so it is better to live by cooperating with each other. And I have always said cricket is a sport which brings people closer to each other and can remove misunderstandings and grievances between countries,” he said.

Talking about the Asia Cup being held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka instead of just in his country, Miandad said: “It was on the cards that they would again not send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup so it is time we also take a strong stand now.”

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