India did not play Pakistan after 1998 as we're too good: Abdul Razzaq's bizarre claim ahead of World Cup 2023

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Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has claimed that India stopped playing frequent cricket against Pakistan post 1998 as the Men in Green "were too good" and would always beat India.

The comment from Razzaq comes days after Sourav Ganguly said that India's clash against Australia carries more weight because India ended up beating Pakistan quite comfortably in World Cup matches. The former India captain had reckoned that the quality of cricket between India vs Australia clash was better.

Razzaq said that back in the days Pakistan always had an upper hand over India but situations have changed now and no team is favourite. He added that the best teams on the day wins the match.

“We share mutual respect and friendship. There's only Indian team that doesn't play against Pakistan. From 1997-98, they didn't play much against us because we were too good, India always used to lose. Now, situation has changed, we are in 2023, but we have to change our thinking. No team is big or small, the performance on the day matters,” Razzaq told EHCricket.

“Both teams are good. You can't say Pakistan team is weak. You see the Ashes series, can you point out which team is better? The team which performs wins, as simple as that. We have to get out of this and play matches, series against each other,” Razzaq further said.

India last toured Pakistan for a bilateral series in 2006, while Pakistan last visited India for a bilateral series in 2012-13. India played their last match in Pakistan in 2008 during the Asia Cup. Due to the strained political ties between the two countries, the arch-rivals now play against each other at ICC events only

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in the round robin stage of the ODI World Cup 2023 on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.