Pakistan cricket can survive without India: Shaharyar Khan

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shaharyar Khan has suggested that “cricket” should be used as bridge of peace between India and Pakistan, and said the relationship between the two sides can be improved by playing the game. “No doubt”, Khan said.

“In spite of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), if the BCCI does not honour its own signature then we’ll see what is to be done”, Shaharyar said. If they do not honour it for political causes, we’ve got choices as much as us of answering again. We will suffer financial and other losses.

“Boycotting is an extreme measure but it is an option”.

“No, I never said anything about boycotting India in ICC events”. If you don’t agree to the conditions of a signed document then definitely I will ask for compensation.

But PCB chief believes if there are talks or no talks, politics should be kept out of cricket.

“Now we still have a few hope that the series will take place”. We have signed on the dotted line that we’ll play it. Now, that is the settlement between us, and I really feel that the BCCI ought to honour that settlement.

Earlier, Shaharyar had confirmed that he had received a reply from BCCI honorary secretary Anurag Thakur and that they would probably meet next week in Dubai on the sidelines of an ICC meeting.

“I will remind him that BCCI has signed an MOU and is he going to honour it or not…that’s the basic issue”. Khan also denied all rumours of boycotting the series. “So, this is my stake, this is what I say”, Shaharyar told media here.

“India-Pakistan relationship always had ups and downs and if it’s down at the moment there would be up later”.

Khan added that cricket is a bridge of peace.

“Politics should not be mixed with sports, both should be separate”.

He said “let the reply come” from India regarding the series. “We will think about these choices once we will come to that time and we’ve got not come to that time”, he stated. This is the memory I carry with me.

India and Pakistan were supposed to play in a bilateral series in December, but due to political turmoil the series looks doubtful.