In a heartwarming exchange amid the longstanding India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, former Pakistan cricket legend Zaheer Abbas has extended a personal invitation to Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar, countering the latter's observations on the one-sided nature of cross-border invitations in sports and culture.
Gavaskar, during a recent chat on India Today, highlighted India's history of welcoming Pakistani players and commentators while noting the rarity of reciprocal gestures from Pakistan. He specifically referenced the 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, where Pakistani players featured across nearly every franchise, and Pakistani commentators were also involved.
“We already did that in 2008. Pakistani players featured in the IPL, and I believe almost every franchise had one. We also had Pakistani commentators. The point I was making is that we are rarely asked. Nobody from India is invited. Pakistan often expects India to make the first move, but we have seldom seen invitations going the other way, even before relations deteriorated to their current state,” Gavaskar stated.
Gavaskar extended his critique beyond cricket, pointing to limited cultural exchanges. He questioned the scarcity of invitations for Indian singers or film stars to work in Pakistani films, emphasizing that such outreach was infrequent even prior to the worsening of bilateral relations.
“How many Indian singers or film stars have been invited to work in Pakistani films? Even before relations worsened, this exchange rarely happened. It was usually India making the first move and reaching out,” he added.
Responding exclusively to Sports Now, Zaheer Abbas emphasized the personal friendships that transcend political divides. He warmly invited Gavaskar, referring to him as a brother and friend, and extended the gesture to the entire Indian cricket team.
“Our brother is welcome anytime. He is my friend, and why only him, I would also invite the entire Indian cricket team. They are all our brothers. Gavaskar’s wife and my wife are from the same city of Kanpur, and they know each other. So it will be great bonding with him again,” Abbas revealed with a smile.
