Cricketers From Pakistan And India Want To Play Against Each Other: Rizwan

The last time an India vs Pakistan bilateral series played was back in 2013.

Cricket Image for Cricketers From Pakistan And India Want To Play Against Each Other: Rizwan (Image Source: AFP)

India and Pakistan's geopolitical rivalry has resulted in the two countries not competing against each other in any bilateral series which means no tours or bilateral series. The only time India and Pakistan meet is in an ICC tournament. 

The last time India-Pakistan played a bilateral series was back in 2012-13 when India hosted Pakistan in a limited-overs series. India, on the other hand, hasn't toured Pakistan since 2006-07 - this was also the last year when a test match was played between the two countries. 

In the last decade, both India and Pakistan have seen a rise in cricket talent and have begun to dominate the sport globally. Where India produced a Virat Kohli, Pakistan has now got Babar Azam. 

India and Pakistan last played against each other in the T20 World Cup 2021 in which the Babar Azam-led side defeated the Virat Kohli-led side. Even though the match was hyped with constant jingoism from the outside, on the cricket field it was a professional game and the players played like that. After the match, the players were talking to each other and enjoyed each other's company.

Mohammad Rizwan has recently come up with a big statement where he asserted that the players from both countries want to compete against each other. 

“The cricketers from Pakistan and India want to play against each other, but the state-level affairs are not in the control of players,” said Rizwan. 

Rizwan was recently part of the county championship where he was playing for Sussex. One of his teammates was India's Cheteshwar Pujara. The two played together and even stitched a 150-plus partnership in one game. 

“I had discussions with Pujara regarding cricket and learned a lot of things from him. We are no different as players, we are one cricketing family. Pujara is a very nice guy. I really admire his concentration and focus. I believe Younis Khan, Fawad Alam, and Che Pujara are three players I rate very highly in this regard,” Rizwan added.