Why Should We Run Behind India? – Ehsan Mani On PCB's Efforts To Resume India-Pakistan Bilateral Series

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani said they shouldn’t be going after India to resume bilateral series between the two countries.

Owing to the political tensions between the two neighbouring countries, their meeting has been limited to just ICC events or Asia Cup matches.

The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012-13 in India. Pakistan won the three-match ODI series 2-1 while both teams shared the T20I series with 1-1 margin.

ICC rejected Ramiz Raja’s four-nation tournament proposal

The Pakistan Cricket Board has shown interest in extending to play India-Pakistan matches out of multi-nation tournaments like ICC World Cup or Asia Cup.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has always stressed on Indian government’s approval as the root cause of the obstruction.

Last month, current PCB chairman Ramiz Raja proposed a four-nation T20I tournament comprising India, Pakistan, Australia and England before the International Cricket Council.

In ICC’s annual general meeting held on April 10 in Dubai, Raja’s proposal for the four-nation tournament was unanimously rejected.

Why should we run behind India?: Ehsan Mani

Mani, who held the post of PCB chair for three years until August 2021, said India will come on its own if they wish to play against them. Mani asked PCB officials to maintain its integrity and honour.

“I always made it clear that if they want to play, they will come and play Pakistan. I never said no but I’ve always maintained that we have our own integrity, our honour. Why should we run behind India? We should not. When they will be ready, only then we will be ready too,” Mani told Cricket Pakistan.

India and Pakistan will lock horns on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The tickets for the high-octane clash were sold out within minutes of going into the sale.

Pakistan won by 10 wickets in their last meeting in the previous edition of the T20 WC in Dubai.

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