Zaheer Abbas, who was appointed as the new ICC president last week has a number of things on his mind, such as improving the overall development of the sport and expanding the game globally, but his primary concern remains the revival of India-Pakistan bilateral ties.
Being an ICC president, Abbas will have a number of major things to look into, but that is not going to deter him from finding a way to induce India and Pakistan to play in bilateral tournaments.
"Being in a ceremonial post does not mean I can't do anything. I love this game and in the next one year I want to contribute something to world cricket," PTI quoted Zaheer Abbas as saying.
Abbas, who played a number of India Pakistan matches in the past holds the tie very close to his heart.
"Having India and Pakistan matches is something close to my heart and I will do my best to make it happen."
There were talks that a series bwtween the two will be played in December in the UAE comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s. This had resulted in some renewed passion amongst the supporters of both sides of the border, but that did not last for long as the series ran into some problems primarily due to the PCB-Ten Sports broadcasting deal, as the BCCI do not want the series to be broadcast by the Zee-owned network.
Hence, as of now, matters have stalled, and the future of the India vs Pakistan series hangs in the balance.
Healthy India-Pakistan cricket ties also plays an important role globally, as such series act as ways to ease ties between the two countries. An India-Pakistan series always produces some quality cricket as well, which attracts cricket fans from all around the world.
The last India vs Pakistan clash in the 2105 World Cup in Adelaide, Australia was watched by more than a billion people, which just shows the demand for the contest world over.
"I want to play a role in helping revive Indo-Pak cricket matches because the people of both countries want for matches to take place and having regular bilateral ties is also necessary for the sport's global image," added Abbas.
Though Zaheer Abbas may be highly committed in improving the relations between the two countries, an Indo-Pak series is also an issue of political interest, which needs to be approved by the government of Pakistan and India respectively.
"I know it is not an easy task because Indo-Pak cricket ties are ruled by political relations between the two countries. But I want to do something in this direction because if we have regular bilateral ties it is good for players and people of both countries," said Abbas.
