Akram bats for India and Pakistan players in each other's T20 leagues

Bengaluru, November 4: While buoyed by the success of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the UAE, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram rues the fact that Indian and Pakistani players are not featuring in each other's Twenty20 leagues.

The strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan has extended beyond the political boundaries with sports and especially cricket becoming the biggest casualty.

None of the Pakistan players are featuring in the IPL 2020 while Indian players are not competing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

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"I've always believed that sports shouldn't be a victim of politics, but that is a government subject of both countries and it won't be apt for me to say anything. IPL is one of the most competitive domestic leagues in the cricketing world and I wish Pakistan youngsters get to be a part of it and I also wish to see Indian players playing in PSL," Akram was quoted as saying by ANI news agency.

Akram, a member of Pakistan's 1992 World Cup-winning squad under current Prime Minister Imran Khan's astute leadership, has been part of the IPL bandwagon before.

The 54-year-old was the bowling coach-cum-mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for a while and his presence had helped many young players in the squad.

The left-armer who took 414 Test wickets and 502 in One-day Internationals in a stellar international career spanning almost two decades, is happy to see that cricket is alive and kicking in the post novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic world, a fact proved by IPL's resounding success, despite being held behind closed doors.

"Over 90 per cent of global sport halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People now are hungry for any live sport they can get during this crisis. Though matches are played in empty stadiums, there has been a huge spike in viewership numbers both in television and digital medium. Sports fans too are exploring new avenues to beat the virus and IPL is proof of this," added Akram.

The IPL 2020 which began on September 19 and has so far seen 56 matches being held at three venues in 46 days, will conclude at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on November 10.