Published: Aug 15, 2018, 07:07 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 15, 2018, 07:07 PM (IST)
Wishing India on its 72nd Independence Day, former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has expressed his desire for both the countries to resolve their issues and wished for the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between.
Afridi was known for his big-hitting abilities that saw him hitting a record-breaking 37-ball hundred in 1996 in only his second ODI. That remained the fastest century in ODIs for over 17 years before being overtaken by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson (36 balls) and then AB de Villiers (31 balls).
Afridi, who played international cricket for 22 years, on his official Twitter handle on Tuesday wrote, “Happy Independence Day to #India, our neighbors across the border. I sincerely hope that from this year onwards, both Pakistan and India work towards resolving their issues for a better, peaceful and prosperous region where India Pak cricket matches can also be frequently held.”
Happy Independence Day to #India, our neighbors across the border. I sincerely hope that from this year onwards, both Pakistan and India work towards resolving their issues for a better, peaceful and prosperous region where India Pak cricket matches can also be frequently held.
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) August 15, 2018
Afridi, in the past, drew praise when he asked one of the fans to straighten the Indian flag as he posed for a picture during St. Moritz Cricket Tournament in Switzerland .
The bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan have been suspended due to political tensions between the two countries. The last time the two teams were involved in a bilateral series was in 2012 when Pakistan toured India for three ODIs and two T20Is.
Since then, they have faced each other only in ICC tournaments with the Champions Trophy final in 2017 being their last meeting. The next time these two teams will lock horns will be during the Asia Cup in September (UAE) where they have been placed in the same group.
