LAHORE: Vice President Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former Chairmen Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajiv Shukla has said that cricket was the easiest way to strengthen bonds between the people in bringing nations together.
The former politician said that while addressing the grand gala dinner hosted by the PCB in honour of the BCCI delegation at the Governor’s House the other night. Officials and players from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan cricket teams were also present on the occasion.
The Vice President of BCCI further said that the game of cricket has a magical power while bringing people and nations and making it easy to develop friendly relations as it did in the past.
Recalling the previous successful tours by the Indian team, Shukla said that there were security concerns ahead of the Indian team’s Pakistan tour in 2004 but they came to Pakistan through the backing of the BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya and it was followed by a tour in 2006. He added that it was the golden era in Pakistan-India relations when cricket served as the track II diplomacy.
BCCI Officials Congratulate PCB
He also promised enviable hospitality to the visiting Pakistan team during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India from October 5 and congratulated PCB on the successful conduct of the Asia Cup 2023.
Meanwhile, the Chairman Management Committee PCB Zaka Ashraf expressed the need to revive love and develop close relations among all the cricketing nations of the world.
While welcoming the BCCI President Roger Binny, Vice President Rajiv Shukla and officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Zaka Ashraf emphasized the need for unity among the cricketing nations adding that the Asia Cup would help in promoting such friendly ties.
Terming cricket as a binding force, Ashraf said that the recent Pak-India tie in the Asia Cup 2023 in Kandy, Sri Lanka, was one such good example where players from both teams were hugging each other at the end of the match.
The President of BCCI, Roger Binny, also echoed his desire to work further in promoting cricket and other friendly ties between the two sides.
