The roaring welcome that the Pakistan cricket team received upon its arrival in India reflects the love fans on either side of the border have for the players, said PCB supremo Zaka Ashraf in his desperate bid to do damage control after indirectly terming India an “enemy nation”.
Pakistan arrived in Hyderabad on Wednesday, marking their first visit to India in seven years.
On the same day, the PCB announced a pay hike for its players. Following that, Ashraf said the raise in the central contracts will provide extra motivation to the players going into the World Cup in an “enemy country”.
The millionaire banker’s loose comments went viral, and it certainly didn’t go down well with the bigwigs of BCCI. On Friday, he clarified his stance.“Chairman PCB’s Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, has stated that the fantastic reception of the Pakistan men’s cricket team in India for the World Cup proves how much love the people of both countries have for each other’s players,” the PCB said in a statement.
Sensing that his “enemy nation” comments could have deeper implications, Ashraf was quick to distance himself from his earlier comment.
“This love was evident by the reception arranged at the Hyderabad airport. Zaka Ashraf personally congratulated the Indians over arranging a reception of this kind. He mentioned that whenever India and Pakistan step onto the cricket field, they emerge as traditional rivals but not as enemies,” it stated.
The two teams play each other in ICC events and the Asia Cup due to the tense relations with the two countries. The players, however, get along well with each other. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf were left overwhelmed with the welcome at Hyderabad
airport.
