'I don't think Pakistan needs to push so much to play India'

Flamboyant all-rounder and national T20 captain Shahid Afridi has advised the Pakistan Cricket Board to stop running after their Indian counterparts to have the proposed bilateral series in December in the UAE. 

Afridi told reporters in Lahore at the national training camp that the PCB should instead try to focus on inviting other teams to tour Pakistan. 

"I don't think we need to push so much to play India. I don't know why we are after them to play the series again and again. If they don't want to play why should we show that we are keen to play them," Afridi said. 

Since 2007, except for a short tour by Pakistan to India for a couple of limited over games in the winter of 2012/13, the two countries have not played against each other. Th two Boards have signed an MoU to play at least six times between 2015-2023. 

Afridi noted that as it was, Pakistani players were not invited or allowed to play in the IPL since 2008. Afridi is not the only Pakistani player to have advised
the PCB to stop chasing after India. The PCB chief earlier this week said it would not make a difference if India did not agree to play in December.

Pakistan's former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, former captains Ramiz Raja and Rashid Latif have all said that due to the ongoing tensions between the two countries, the environment was not conducive to play a bilateral series.