Former Pakistan and India players Shahid Afridi and Yuvraj Singh said that cricket matches between the two neighbour countries will be better for the game as a total.

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since the latter toured the former during the 2012-13 season.

According to the details, Afridi and Yuvraj, two great rivals on the field of cricket but just as great friends off it, have explained how this fraying of relationships is detrimental for the sport, also echoing the age-old maxim: politics and sport should not be mixed.

Since 2012-13, the two countries have not met in a bilateral series. It was the last time when Pakistan came to India to play in a three-match ODI series.

Whereas, India’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2006 when they played in a Test and ODI series. Since then, both nations have been meeting in multi-side tournaments organized by the International Cricket Council, like the World Cup and Asia Cup.

Really enjoyed experience at @iccacademy with @yuvisoffical 👊 was really inspired seeing such motivated and talented young cricketers around #LalavsYuvi #Cricket4Good pic.twitter.com/LcFEOK96HT

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) February 11, 2020

Afridi said, “I think, if India and Pakistan were to have a series, it will be something bigger than the Ashes. However, we don’t seem to get it. We are letting politics get in the way of people’s love for this sport and their wish to come together. I think we need to put a few things behind us as well, and so does India. We need to sit down together at a table and talk things out.”

Yuvraj said, “I remember playing against Pakistan in 2004, 2006 and 2008 in bilateral series. These days yeah, there has not been enough of that.”