Gautam Gambhir opposes any ties with Pakistan until cross-border terrorism ends

A lot of things are happening at the moment in Indian cricket, both on and off the field. While in the former, the Test and ODI teams are making progress in the right direction, off the field, things have certainly heated up – with the India-Pakistan political matter taking centrestage and also making its way into the sporting circles.

Amidst the tension, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has spoken openly about the issue of playing Pakistan in the future, stating that until terrorism is put to an end, there should be no ties being played between the two nations.

"I absolutely endorse that we should have no ties with Pakistan until the time this cross-border terrorism finishes, because I feel that people absolutely need to put themselves in the shoes of those who've lost their kids, someone who's lost their father, son or husband,” Gambhir told Times Now.

Gambhir went on to add that until there was no cross-border terrorism between India and Pakistan, one must not think of having any kind of relationship between the two nations.

“So I totally endorse that until the time we don't secure our own Indians, our own countrymen, all other things can be kept aside. I totally ensure that we should not have any relationship with Pakistan until cross-border terrorism is over,” he added.

The 35-year-old further suggested that all of India's citizens should put themselves in the shoes of those who have lost their dear ones and added that once that is done, then we can get a clear answer.

"Obviously I can say this sitting in an AC room, that we should not play or whatever, that cricket should not be compared with politics, Bollywood should not be compared with politics, but people who've lost their loved ones obviously feel ... if you ask them, you'll get the answer,” he said.

The last time India and Pakistan met on the cricketing field was during the ICC World T20 in March, when MS Dhoni and Co. emerged victorious in Kolkata. Earlier this month, BCCI President Anurag Thakur had asked the ICC to ensure that in the future multi-nation tournaments, India and Pakistan should not be a part of the same group.

Now it remains to be seen whether the arch-rivals are put in the same pool or not after the Champions Trophy in 2017 – where the two teams are in the same group.