'Agar maut aani hai...': Miandad's insensitive take on IND's refusal to tour PAK | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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'Agar maut aani hai...': Javed Miandad's insensitive remark on India's refusal to tour Pakistan amid security concerns

Apr 12, 2023 05:11 PM IST

Javed Miandad's extremely uncomfortable remark is sure to make matters worse between India and Pakistan.

As the plot thickens around India's participation in the Asia Cup which is expected to be held in Pakistan, Javed Miandad, the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has come up with a highly insensitive take on the matter. As cricketing ties between India and Pakistan continue to remain in a deadlock due to political tensions between the two nations, no decision has been taken on the fate of the Asia Cup. As per latest developments, the tournament is likely to stick to its original venue of Pakistan, in the case of which India will most probably play their matches at a neutral venue.

Javed Miandad (R) with an absolutely shocking statement. (Getty/Screengrab)
Javed Miandad (R) with an absolutely shocking statement. (Getty/Screengrab)

This back-and-forth stance between BCCI and PCB has not made matters easier. Earlier, the PCB threatened to pull out of the World Cup but has mellowed over the last few months. On Tuesday, another report emerged which stated that as per ICC sources, Pakistan could prefer playing their World Cup matches in Kolkata and Chennai. However, amid this whole controversy, Miandad's extremely uncomfortable remark is sure to make matters worse.

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On an episode on the Nadir Ali podcast, Miandad was asked about his views on India's refusal to travel to Pakistan due to 'security' concerns, to which the former captain said: "Forget security. "We believe that agar maut aani hai toh aani hai. Zindagi aur maut toh allah ke haath mein hai" (If you're destined to die, you will die. Life and death is in the hands of the almighty). If they call us today, we will go. But they should return too. The thing is the last time we went, but they haven't come here since. It's their turn now."

Ever since the horrific Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008, India have severed all its cricketing ties with Pakistan – there was a small tour in 2012 but that's it. Pakistan's cricketers are not allowed to play in the IPL and the only India-Pakistan matches that take place are during ICC events and Asia Cup. In February of 2019, when India was hurt by the tragic Pulwama attacks, many wanted the Indian team to boycott their World Cup match against Pakistan, but the match went ahead.

In 2021, New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan moments before the start of the ODI series and flew back. This hurt Pakistan's credibility to host international cricket dearly. Even though major teams such as England and Australia touring Pakistan for a full-fledged series, and New Zealand returned to compensate for their aborted tour, certain former India cricketers remain unsure about the security. "India shouldn't travel to Pakistan as it isn't safe there and why are we taking risk of travelling when their own people do not feel secure in their country?" Harbhajan Singh had said.

Earlier this month, another former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Imran Khan – who also served as the country's Prime Minister, lashed out at the BCCI, alleging it to be 'arrogant' and behaving like a 'superpower'.

"It is a sad and unfortunate affair, the relationship between Pakistan and India. There is a lot of arrogance in the way India now behaves in the cricketing world as a superpower. Because of their ability to generate a lot of funds, more than any other country, I think they almost dictate now as a sort of the arrogance of a super power of who they should play and who they shouldn't," Imran told Times Radio.

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