India don’t play against us because they are afraid of facing Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed

New Delhi: While the political tensions between India and Pakistan have brought their on-field rivalry to a stall, cricket fans have been deprived of some quality action.

Despite intervention from the cricket boards of both the countries, a bi-lateral series between the two teams hasn't been finalised.

While India is awaiting government approval for resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed has come up with a bizarre reason as to why India doesn't want to play cricket with their arch rivals.

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According to a report in geo.tv, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has said that India don't want to play with Pakistan as they are afraid of facing their arch rivals.

“Perhaps India are afraid of facing Pakistan which is why they don’t play against us,” Indian media quoted the T20 and ODI skipper as saying, after reports emerged of possibility of a Pakistan-India series later this year.

Sarfraz also said that the Indian government should take a step forward to resume playing cricket with Pakistan.

The two teams last met in international tournament in the World T20 2016 where India beat Pakistan in Kolkata. They have not faced each other in a bilateral series since 2013.

Amid the chaos caused by political issues between India and Pakistan, the two cricketing nations are set to go head to head in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh ahead of the much-awaited clash in Champions Trophy in England.

The two teams will lock horns in the Emerging Cup tournament, an event designed for the Under-23 players, but four teams — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka — can field four national players in total without an age cap. Other four teams — Afghanistan, UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal — are eligible to play their national sides.

The tournament will be played under the banner of Asian Cricket Committee and is scheduled to take place between March 15 to 26.

Confirming the news, MV Sridhar was quoted saying by The Indian Express, “Yes, India would be sending a team to the tournament. It’s an ACC tournament and so we would go there. This is not a bilateral India-Pakistan series, and so this is different."