India should play cricket with Pakistan more often: Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi

Dubai, February 12: Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said the more the team plays its arch-rival Pakistan in bilateral cricket series, the better it is for the sport. Yuvraj and Pakistan's former all-rounder Shahid Afridi said the two countries playing each other will be good for the sport.

"I remember playing against Pakistan in 2004, 2006 and 2008 in bilateral series. These days yeah, there has not been enough of that. But these things are not in our hands," Yuvraj told Sports360.

"We play cricket for the love of the sport. We cannot choose which country to play against ourselves. But what I can say is that the more India versus Pakistan cricket there is, the better it is for the sport," he said.

Afridi also batted for resumption of bilateral ties between the two countries. Both Yuvraj and Afridi still play in franchise-based T20 leagues after retiring from international cricket.

"I think, if India and Pakistan were to have a series, it will be something bigger than the Ashes. However, we don't seem to get it. We are letting politics get in the way of people's love for this sport and their wish to come together," Afridi said.

"I think we need to put a few things behind us as well and so does India. We need to sit down together at a table and talk things out," he added.

The two countries run into each other occasionally in ICC tournaments but have not played a bilateral series since 2013. They last played a Test series in 2008.