Waqar Younis criticizes the exclusion of India-Pakistan matches as part of ICC World Test Championship

Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis has expressed his disappointment over the absence of India-Pakistan ties being contested as part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, and also stated that it makes 'no sense' that the rivalry is not a part of the competition.

India and Pakistan last featured in a bilateral series when Pakistan toured India in 2007, in a series that saw India winning the first Test and the next two Test matches ending in a draw.

Post the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the rivalry has not been re-ignited on the cricket field, and Younis was of the opinion that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should have considered a series featuring India and Pakistan as well.

“I know it is a difficult situation between Pakistan and India even at the government to government level but I think the ICC needed to play a more proactive role in this championship.”

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Younis claimed that despite him not being able to play too much against India owing to the strained relations, ICC should have taken steps to schedule the India v Pakistan ties as part of the World Test Championship.

“The ICC should have intervened and done something because to me having a Test championship without Pakistan and India Test matches makes no sense.”

The pacer also expressed his thoughts on how the ICC should facilitate a possible neutral venue to extract the most ideal result at the end of the Championship.

"The major issue is that neither do we want to play them, nor do they want to play us. Agreeing on a neutral venue is one thing that could be done, but essentially the idea is that ICC should organise matches between India and Pakistan.