As Pakistan prepares to host the ICC Champions Trophy next year, it’s unclear if India will participate, given the decade-long gap since their last match in Pakistan. Harbhajan Singh has expressed security concerns, while former Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has challenged India to visit, citing Pakistan’s recent tour of India for the ODI World Cup.
A viral video of Tanvir Ahmed on social media praises the Pakistan team for their “brave and fearless” decision to travel to India for cricket. In the clip, he invites the Indian team to visit Pakistan, assuring them of their safety.
“Sher hai hum log sher hai, hum log sher hai. Hum log tere mulk me aa ke khel ke gaye hai. Aake dikha….Hum toh kah rahe hai aake khelo. Security denge, sab kuch denge tum logon ko. Aao toh sahi ek dafaa [We are lions, we are lions. We came and played cricket in your country. Come here and show… We are inviting you to come and play. We will provide security, we will give you everything. Just come once],” said Tanvir Ahmed.
“Yeh sirf Pakistan ke playeron ka kaam hai, bhai. Sirf Pakistan ke player aate hai aur khelke chale jaate hai. Chahe jeete, chahe haare, jis tarah ki cricket khele. Woh India jaake khelke wapas aaye the. Isko kahte hai ek daler team aur daler players [It’s only the Pakistan players who do this. Only Pakistani players come and play and go back, regardless of winning or losing, and no matter how they play. They went to India and returned after playing there. This is what you call a brave team and brave players],” he added.
Pakistan has guaranteed that all Indian team matches in the tournament will take place in Lahore, with the team staying at the same hotel to enhance security. Last year, India declined to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup, resulting in matches being held in Sri Lanka. Since 2012, India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series, with encounters restricted to ICC or ACC events by the Indian government.
