Veteran Pakistan cricketer Sohail Khan has called for the PCB to stop chasing the Indian team and request them to visit their nation for the Champions Trophy. The 40-year-old believes the BCCI shouldn't be requested to send their team anymore to Pakistan and that Pakistan shouldn't be playing against them either in the future.
The PCB had unveiled the draft schedule for the Champions Trophy a few months ago, but the BCCI has communicated that the Indian government didn't give them permission to participate in the tournament. With PCB also not ready to accept a hybrid model, the multi-nation event's future remains uncertain.
Tensions escalated between the two nations when the PCB chose three cities of the PoK for the Champions Trophy tour, resulting in BCCI objecting. As a result, the ICC decided to eliminate those from the trophy tour.
Speaking to SAMAA Tv, Sohail remarked:
"Kya woh nahin honge toh hum cricket nahin khelenge? Nahin khelna hai toh nahin khelna hai, khatam kahaani yaar. Nahin aana hai toh na aaye. Hum log kitni baar ek-ek tareeke se izzat se bula rahe hain. Nahin aa rahe hain toh mat bulaao, kyun minnatein kar rahe ho? Kya uske alaawa cricket nahin ho raha hai duniya mein? Har jagah cricket hai. Bilkul aakhri final decision lelo, nahin khelenge unke saath. Woh khel hee nahin sakte hamaare saath."
(Can't we play cricket if they are not there? If they don't want to play and don't want to come to Pakistan, let it be, end of story. We have requested them enough times through different ways. Why are we doing so time and again? Isn't cricket being played anywhere else? Take a final decision that we won't play against them in the near future. They can't play with us.)
"ICC is now BCCI because Jay Shah is set to become Chairman of ICC" - Najam Sethi
Meanwhile, former PCB chairman Najam Sethi slammed the ICC for not raising their voice against the BCCI due to the latter majority revenue for them. He said during an interview with a local channel, as quoted by CricketPakistan.pk:
"ICC is very weak and will never stand against BCCI because ICC depends on the revenue of BCCI. ICC is not ICC anymore. ICC is now BCCI because Jay Shah is set to become Chairman of ICC. Incase, Government of Pakistan contacts Narendra Modi then there is possibility that the latter would allow the Indian Cricket Team to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy."
