Aaqib Javed Says “Our Cricket Will Be Ruined, Like Hockey, If Sports And Politics Are Not Kept Separate”

Former Pakistan captain Aaqib Javed expressed his astonishment at the remarks made by West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle regarding the Pakistan-India match in the upcoming ICC World Cup in India.

Gayle suggested that players from both teams should negotiate for higher remuneration for participating in this highly anticipated showdown.

“Whenever those teams [India and Pakistan] play, especially in a World Cup, the revenues they generate are humongous. One game can take care of the entire ICC event,” Gayle said

“Pakistan and India players should demand a lot of money for those games because those games are high-paid games TV-wise. I don’t control the board or the ICC. If I was in their position, I would want a lot more.”

During a media interaction in Lahore, Aaqib Javed labeled Chris Gayle’s statement as “strange,” asserting that neither the cricket boards nor the players possessed the authority to make such a request.

Additionally, Javed mentioned Pakistan as a strong contender for the ICC World Cup 2023.

“Pakistan team right now is much better than before and should be considered as one of the favourites for the World Cup,” he said.

The ICC Cricket World Cup will feature 10 teams competing at 10 different venues from October 5 to November 19, with the tournament opener and the final taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The highly anticipated clash between Pakistan and India is scheduled for October 15 in Ahmedabad.

Furthermore, Aaqib Javed discussed the potential impact of politics on Pakistan’s cricket.

“Our cricket will be ruined, like hockey, if Sports and politics are not kept separate. Cricket policies should remain the same even if there is a change in chairmanship,” he said.

Here is Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:

October 6 – vs Qualifier 1 in Hyderabad

October 12 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad

October 15 – vs India in Ahmedabad

October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru

October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai

October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai

October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata

November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)

November 12 – vs England in Kolkata

The day matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup will commence at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), whereas all other matches will be day-night encounters commencing at 01:30 pm (PST).