Roger Binny and Rajeev Shukla praises PCB for returning back to India
Rajeev Shukla also lavished praise on PCB for treating him and Binny with the utmost care.
Over specific topics, India and Pakistan have been at odds for many years. The two governments of the two neighboring countries have shown reluctance in sending their teams to their neighboring country, and they only compete against one another in ICC or ACC events.
Cricket, which was thought to be a means of establishing a friendly relationship between the two neighboring countries, also took a back seat.
The 2023 ODI World Cup, which would be staged completely in India for the first time, was refused entry by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). India had previously decided against visiting Pakistan to compete in the 2023 Asia Cup.
Eventually, the Asia Cup's games were split between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, giving India the opportunity to compete only in the island nation. Pakistan, meanwhile, consented to travel to India to compete in the ODI World Cup.
On August 30, the Asia Cup event got underway, featuring six teams vying for the prized trophy. Roger Binny, president of the BCCI, and Rajeev Shukla, vice president, were invited by the PCB to attend matches in the group stage of the competition in Pakistan.
Binny and Shukla went to Pakistan after accepting the offer. On September 6, they traveled back via the Attari-Wagah border. The former all-rounder for India hailed Pakistan's hospitality, stating that the country goes above and beyond to make visitors feel at home
."The meeting we had in Pakistan was excellent. We experienced excellent hospitality. They took excellent care of us. The main plan was to sit and talk with them while watching cricket.
Overall, the trip was excellent. Pakistan was really gracious to us. They went above and beyond to make us feel at ease, according to Binny, who was quoted by Sportstar.
Binny said that it is up to the Indian government, not the BCCI, to decide whether or not to resume bilateral relations between the two countries, but he remained optimistic
Security and arrangement were fabulous: Rajeev Shukla
Rajeev Shukla also praised PCB for giving him and Binny the best care possible. He reminisced over India's tour of Pakistan in 2004 and said that cricket may be a tool for fostering friendship.
"The meeting went really well. We received excellent treatment from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Everything was perfect, including the security, and the arrangements. It was a successful goodwill visit for cricket.
"Even earlier, cricket was a significant medium. For instance, the mood that was fostered during the 2004 tour led to numerous commerce and friendship delegations. It was a terrific mood because the shop owners weren't even accepting payment from customers, according to Shukla.