Javed Miandad, a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, sparked considerable controversy with his remarks over India’s refusal to visit Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. In response to the stance adopted at the ACC conference, Miandad declared that “India can go to hell,” and that was criticized by people from both countries. The former captain of Pakistan clarified his remarks in a video that was uploaded to YouTube, claiming that India’s decision not to visit Pakistan won’t have any effect on the host country. He continued by saying that the Asia Cup trip by India would have sent a great message and that cricketing ties between the two nations should be restored as soon as feasible.
“Do you know what hell means? If you don’t want to play just don’t. We don’t have a problem. Ask the Indian cricketers. They’ll also say that there should be cricket between these two teams in their respective countries. It’ll benefit both nations,” he said in the video. “If they think that their (India) not coming to Pakistan makes any difference, let me tell you that it doesn’t. That’s what I meant. We are independent. Pakistan has produced world-class cricketers as well as hockey players. Everywhere around the world, neighboring countries are playing with each other.”
The most recent match between India and Pakistan took place at the T20 World Cup in 2022, where Rohit Sharma and company won by a margin of four wickets. According to Miandad, fans eagerly anticipate the India-Pakistan series, which can also benefit in improving relations between the two countries. “Earlier we used to go there and then they used to come here. When India came to play a series in Pakistan, there were so many people from India who also came to watch. There were no hotels available and the Lahore residents invited them to their houses. It had a very good impact on the relationships between the two countries.”