Former Pakistan captain, Javed Miandad, has praised the current Pakistan cricket team and claimed they are better than the Indian side in every aspect. He said the Pakistani players have more talent and skill than their Indian counterparts and Advised PCB to Boycott World Cup in India. Miandad was speaking to the media in Karachi, where he recalled the historic India-Pakistan cricket series in the past, which used to bring the two nations closer.
He said that sports could play a vital role in improving relations and regretted the current situation, especially the policies of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If it was me, I would say get lost. We are better than them. Our cricket is better than them. We are producing talents making their name in the world,” he said.
Miandad also launched a scathing attack on Modi, accusing him of being a warmonger and a tyrant. He predicted that Modi would soon face the wrath of his people for his atrocities and injustices. He expressed his discontent and suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should not send the national team to India for the upcoming 50-over World Cup 2023, scheduled for October-November.
“We should not be concerned about them. Instead, we should celebrate our achievements and the exceptional talents emerging from our nation,” he concluded.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan ranked sixth in ODIs, fourth in T20Is, and fifth in Tests by the International Cricket Council (ICC). However, India ranked third in ODIs, first in T20Is, and second in Tests. The two sides last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 due to political tensions and security concerns.
They last met in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where India beat Pakistan by 89 runs. The two teams also scheduled to face each other in the T20 World Cup 2022 on October 24. Cricket has used as a tool for diplomacy between India and Pakistan in the past when leaders of both countries exchanged visits and cricket fans traveled across the border to watch the matches.
However, due to the rise of violence and hostility in recent years, cricketing ties between the two countries have been suspended or disrupted. Some factors that have affected cricket relations include the 1999 Kargil War, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Balakot airstrike.