Waqar Younis: Regular India-Pakistan bilateral series will help ease tensions

Karachi: Former Pakistan pace bowler and current head coach Waqar Younis believes that regular bilateral cricket series with India can help ease the escalating tensions between the two sub-continental arch rivals. Waqar said that he was optimistic about the proposed series in December despite knowing the fact that the present situation between both countries has put the series in jeopardy, the Express Tribune reported. The former pace spearhead also said that it would be most unfortunate for cricket if the series, comprising of two Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 series, doesn’t take place. According to the MoU signed between PCB and BCCI, both countries are scheduled to play six series in the 2015-2023 Future Tours Programme, but all were subject to clearance from New Delhi. READ: Waqar Younis unhappy with Sarfaraz Ahmed exclusion controversy

India have not played a full bilateral Test series with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. After 26/11 the central government, sports ministry and BCCI came to a mutual consensus that India should not play Pakistan in a bilateral series. This was deemed as a safety measure until the situation improves and Pakistan stops cross border terrorism. Recently PCB chairman Shahryar Khan said that Pakistan cricket could still live without playing India. Javed Miandad concurred with Khan. Former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad then reiterated that that playing Pakistan is not a political matter but concerns national safety. He added that terror and sports can’t go together. According to Kirti Azad India stopped playing Pakistan to safeguard its cricketers. READ: Waqar Younis: Pakistan will qualify for ICC Champions Trophy 2017

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