Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has made a huge claim amid the Asia Cup hosting rights' debate. While Pakistan were announced as the official hosts of the competition, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, categorically denied that India would not be travelling to Pakistan. As Shah also doubles up as the President of the Asian Cricket Council, he even declared that the tournament will have to be moved out of the country.
However, later reports emerged stating that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi reportedly threatened to boycott the ODI World Cup in India this year if India remain firm on its stance of not playing in Pakistan. In this context, Afridi has said that is is India who are saying no to the Asia Cup, instead of giving them a chance to host the Indian team.
"Who is saying no to Asia Cup? India is saying no," Afridi said on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC).
"You just send the Indian team to Pakistan and we will welcome them with great pleasure. Before this, an Indian from Mumbai, won't take his name, had threatened Pakistan that they won't be allowed in India. But we kept all aside and our government had taken it up as a responsibility and the Pakistan team did go to India. So threats should not ruin our relationship. Threats will remain," he added.
Afridi also recalled Team India's tour of Pakistan in 2005-06 and how Indian players like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were received with love and respect in the country.
"It would have been really nice if India had come. It would have been a step towards cricket and Pakistan for India. This is not a generation of wars and fights, we want relationships to get better. We have played against India with a lot of love and affection. I remember when we came to India, we got an outstanding response. If you remember the 2005 series, Harbhajan and Yuvraj used to go shopping and to restaurants, and no one used to charge them money. This is the beauty of the two nations," he said.