Former national cricket team captain Shahid Afridi said that Pakistan’s decision to play with India has preserved the spirit of cricket and saved the reputation of the T20 World Cup.
In his statement on the social networking website X, Shahid Afridi said that the decision of the Pakistani government not only protected the sanctity of the event but also ensured the stability of the game at the global level.
He said that ‘cricket has won’ and this game will continue to play the role of reducing distances and bridging differences in the world. It should be noted that the government has allowed the national cricket team to play a match against India in the T20 World Cup.
According to the statement, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was formally briefed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi about the results of high-level meetings with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The Pakistan government reviewed the formal requests made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board to the PCB, along with letters of support from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and other member countries, who expected Pakistan to resolve the matter.
The government also appreciated the statement of Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam and welcomed the expression of gratitude from Bangladesh. Pakistan reiterated that it always stands by its brothers.
In this regard, the Prime Minister had a telephonic conversation with the President of Sri Lanka this evening. Both the leaders reminded that Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always stood by each other in difficult situations.
The President of Sri Lanka requested the Prime Minister to give serious consideration to resolving the current situation amicably.
In view of the results of negotiations with international and friendly countries, the government of Pakistan has directed the national cricket team to play the scheduled match against India.
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