Shahid Afridi urges India to tour Pakistan for 2023 Asia Cup, says security is not a concern anymore

Meanwhile, Afridi, who has been vocal about issues related to Kashmir in particular in the past, has said if India comes over to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, it will not only improve the cricketing ties but will also work as a step towards bettering political relations between both countries. One of the biggest match-winners for Pakistan further said he will be happy if everything goes as per plan.

“It would have been really nice if India had come. It would have been a step towards Cricket and Pakistan for India. This is not the generation of wars and fights. We want relationships to get better,” Shahid Afridi told the media on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) in Doha.

While almost every team barring India, has travelled to Pakistan over the past few years, that too for full-fledged series, Afridi feels there are no security concerns and that the Asia Cup should go ahead as scheduled.

“As far as the security concern in Pakistan is concerned, we had many international teams travelling here recently. We used to face security threats from India as well, but if permission is received from the government of both countries then the tour will happen. If the tour doesn’t happen, we will give those people a chance. All they want is that there should be no cricket between them,” Afridi further said.

India last toured Pakistan during the 2008 Asia Cup and in 2006 for the bilateral series. Although both last faced in a bilateral series in India in 2012/2013, since then have just squared off in ICC events only.

The final decision on the future of the 2023 Asia Cup will be decided in the ACC meeting scheduled for this month.