ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Interior and Legal Affairs Atta Tarar strongly supports the Pakistan cricket team’s participation in World Cup 2023 scheduled in India, saying there is no better feeling than to defeat India on its home ground.
Tarar, who is part of the committee formed and tasked by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to formulate recommendations on Pakistan’s India tour for the World Cup, said he supports Pakistan’s tour to India for the mega tournament.
“There is no better feeling than to defeat your enemy on its own home ground. Pakistan is a better cricket team than India and should play in India,” he said, speaking to Geo News in an exclusive interview.
Commenting on the Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s cricketing prowess, the politician — associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — deemed him ahead of Virat Kohli in terms of batting talent, while he also heaped praises on pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“Babar Azam is a better player than Virat Kohli when it comes to general comparison. India does not have a single fast bowler like Shaheen Afridi. I really want to see Babar Azam score a century and so Shaheen Afridi take the wicket of Virat Kohli on the Indian soil,” he said.
Tarar endorsed the idea of keeping politics away from cricket.
“It is up to India whether they travel to Pakistan or not, but politics should not be mixed with sports. The gentleman’s game should not look like a battlefield,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should develop pressure against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the International Cricket Council’s forum.
On a lighter note, while referring to Imran Khan — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former World Cup-winning captain — Tarar said: “We have witnessed in the past how mixing politics and cricket has damaged our country a lot.”
Meanwhile, the SAPM also commented on the pending decision of the committee, adding that every member has a right to give an opinion and must be given respect.
“PCB comes under Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Ehsan Mazari and he thinks Pakistan should not travel to India. He is my friend and I respect his opinion wholeheartedly. So far, PM Shehbaz has not given his personal opinion on the decision but he has a vision to promote the sports culture in the country,” he said.
Tarar seemed very hopeful about Pakistan’s performance and wished to see the Green Shirts win the trophy of the biggest cricket event scheduled in October this year.
“This is one of my dreams to see Pakistan lift the World Cup trophy on Indian soil. Winning a World Cup is special but the importance of Pakistan winning the ICC trophy in India will be something unprecedented,” he said.
The politician does not believe cricket diplomacy can currently play any role in bringing Pakistan and India closer due to the Kashmir conflict.
“India has violated human rights in the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Until the dispute of Kashmir is not solved, I cannot see Pakistan and India making any dialogue courtesy of cricket diplomacy. The only thing in the hands of Pakistan is to defeat India on their own home ground,” the SAPM said.
He shared that the recommendations by the committee are yet to be forwarded to the prime minister with regard to Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup scheduled in India.
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