Daily Times

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said Pakistan and India should play bilateral cricket in the larger interest of the sports.

“There is, however, no immediate chance of resumption of cricketing ties as India is shy of even political talks with Pakistan,” he said while talking to media persons on his arrival at the Old Trafford Stadium to watch Pakistan-India match in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. “But, for how long, and where, will India run from us,” he remarked.

The foreign minister said cricket is too much popular in the subcontinent. “Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a new identity to the game of cricket in Pakistan,” he added.

The minister lauded the Pakistani spectators, who had come in large number to watch the Pak-India match. He expressed the hope that India will continue to play cricket against Pakistan as it is vital for the promotion of the game in the region as well as across the world.

Responding to the slogans against Nawaz Sharif raised by the spectators, Qureshi said the people here now know everything.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Imran Khan had advised the national cricket team to banish all fear of losing, give their best and fight till the last ball. “Unless pitch is damp, Sarfraz must win the toss & bat,” suggested the prime minister who had captained the 92-World Cup winning team. In a series of tweets, he said in order to have a winning offensive strategy, Sarfraz must go in with specialist batsmen and bowlers because ‘Raillu Kattas’ rarely perform under pressure, especially the intense kind that will be generated in the match.