'It is ridiculous' Ian Chappell on India-Pakistan not playing bilateral cricket

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has backed bilateral matches between Pakistan and India, arguing that this would be better than them playing a Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The veteran cricketer and commentator told local media news channel in an exclusive interview in Sydney that the love of the game kept players united.

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“It is ridiculous,” Chappell responded when asked for his views on India and Pakistan not playing bilateral cricket.

“I did a tournament going way back to 1996 in Toronto, where India and Pakistan were both playing, and I remember talking to players from both sides. And I said why do you like to dislike each other? And they said, we don't, we don't dislike each other at all, we get on very well. And it was interesting to see how the teams mixed. But the one thing they said is the problem is the politicians. It's the politicians who caused the animosity between the two. And I just think it's damn ridiculous that you haven't got Test matches between India and Pakistan,” he said.

Referring to discussions over holding an India vs. Pakistan Test at the MCG, Ian Chappell stated why not? It is better than playing in the UAE, but he would prefer to see India travel to Pakistan and Pakistan travel to India.

“That's where they should be playing the Test cricket,” he said.

When asked about his relationship with Pakistani cricketers of his era, the former Australian cricketer stated that he keeps in touch with Intikhab Alam.

“We've always been good friends. We were rivals on the field. We were focused on the field, but we sat around afterward, and we talked about the game,”

“And, I think the thing that unites us all is Australian players, and the Pakistan players is the love of the game. We all love the game, and the other thing is, we had respect for them because we knew they could play, and they had respect for us because they knew we could play,” he said.

Speaking about the T20 World Cup, the former Australian captain expressed disappointment that the West Indies did not advance to the next round of the T20 World Cup. He also commented on Pakistan's performance, adding that how the team performed against South Africa was something he would always expect from this team.

“Pakistan is starting to play excellent cricket. I mean, they hammered South Africa. That's more like the form I expected from Pakistan because I think they're a good team,” he said.

“Babar Azam, to me, is an outstanding player. And he's an excellent player in all game formats, and they've got good pace, good spin bowling, and all the attributes you need to succeed in Australia. But they just panicked in that game against India, and then to lose to Zimbabwe was something that a cricket team with that ability shouldn't do,” he maintained.

“There's got to remain some artistry in the batting, and I think that's where Babar is perfect. He's a terrific artist. And he likes to include artistry in his play, even in T20s. And I think that's a good thing,” said Chappell.

He also stated that he does not like the combination of improvised bats and shorter boundaries.

In response to a question, Ian stated that there is a need for a balance between all formats of the game, as the particular thing appears to be weighted towards T20 Cricket.