“India has started respecting Pakistan” says Ramiz Raja; Ravichandran Ashwin responds
The India-Pakistan have always been fierce rival on the cricket field. But often the rivalry between the two teams intensifies when their representatives give big statements against one another outside the field.
One such event took place recently when the chief of PCB Ramiz Raza gave a controversial statement.
Statement by Ramiz Raja
In his statement Raja said, “Pakistan humesha se underdogs rahein hain jab bhi India se muqabla huye hain, but of late, unhone hume respect dena shuru kardiya hain kyunki unke khayal me yeh hain ki Pakistan hume kabhi hara hi nehi sakte.
“So yehi main kehta hu ki Pakistan ko credit dijiye kyunki ek billion-dollar team cricket industry ko hum harate he (Pakistan have always been underdogs whenever they have played against India. But, of late, they have started to give them respect, knowing that they can be beaten in this contest. This is where Pakistan should get credit as the India is a ‘billion-dollar’ team.)”
Ravichandran Ashwin responds to Ramiz Raja’s comment
Indian veteran spinner Rav chandran Ashwin was not happy with this statement. And he came out guns blazing to defend his team’s intentions.
The incident took place on Monday when Ashwin was asked his views regarding Raja’s statement. The reporters in an interview in Australia asked him the question. To this Ashwin replied:
“Until you said that, I didn’t know he made a statement like that. That’s one way of dealing with it,” Ashwin said while speaking to reporters at Perth.
“But look, it’s a game of cricket. Whatever political tensions and whatever stays between the teams, the rivalry is big, it means a lot to the people from both countries. But at the end of the day, whatever you may say as a cricketer and as someone who is playing the sport, you do understand that wins and losses are part of the game, especially in this format, the margins are going to be so close,” he added.
India suffered their first defeat against Pakistan in T20 World Cup last year. It was a humiliating defeat, considering that Pakistan won by 10 wickets.
Earlier this year India suffered another defeat against Pakistan in T20 Asia Cup. It was however by some small margins.
Now, India must be eyeing to take revenge against Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. Both the teams will go head to head against one another on the 24th of October.
