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Former Test captains Imran Khan and Wasim Akram joined the local media on Friday in hitting out at India’s decision to cancel next month’s tour to Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
1992 World Cup-winning captain Khan said India’s decision exposed its “double standards” as it did everything to convince England to return to India and play two Tests after the attacks.
“If the Indian team had toured Pakistan it would have given a clear message to the terrorists that players and people of both countries have not bowed in front of them,” Khan was quoted in the urdu Daily Express.
“It was the reason that England returned to India.”
Indian sports minister M.S. Gill announced the decision in parliament on Thursday which confirmed widely held expectations that the visit would be cancelled after the attacks which killed 164 people.
Indian authorities say the attack was committed by militants originating from Pakistan.
India had been due to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international between January 8 and February 19.
Akram, who played with Khan in the 1992 World Cup, hoped that cricket ties between the neighbouring countries would soon be revived.
“I had thought that India would not mix cricket with politics, but after this (cancellation of tour) one should hope that it’s a temporary phase,” Akram said.
Cricket writer Kamran Abbasi attacked India and other international teams in a front-page column in the leading English daily Dawn.
“India, the self-appointed guardian of cricket’s conscience, has thus failed its most important test of conscience,” Abbasi wrote.
Australia cancelled a tour this year, while the International Cricket Council also postponed the scheduled Champions Trophy one-day tournament after several nations raised security concerns.
Pakistan has ended the year without playing a single Test.
“The matter should be taken up at the ICC and the hypocrisy of the international cricket community exposed – a community that dances too quickly to India’s financial tune, at the expense of less fortunate cricket nations and cricketers,” Abbasi said.
“It serves the purposes of the rich countries, which prefer to follow the money in international cricket.”
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