Indo-Pak cricket ties should be restored: Farokh Engineer

London, September 21: Former Indian wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer would like to see "relations restored" in a "delicate" situation with Pakistan so they can resume bilateral cricket series.

Amid the current glut of international cricket, one of the more remarkable statistics is that India and Pakistan have not played a Test against each other since the 2007-'08 season.

"It's a delicate situation there, it's up to the government really," Engineer told AFP during an interview.

"They are saying we are having border clashes with Pakistan all the time and it just wouldn't make sense playing cricket until relations are restored.

"I am all for relations being restored because basically we are the same people - it's the British government in 1947 who created the partition, but who am I to judge that? I like to leave that to the politicians."

"All the years I played, India and Pakistan were at war and never actually played a Test series."

Engineer played alongside Pakistan stars such as Zaheer Abbas and Intikhab Alam during Rest of the World series against England and Australia in 1970 and 1971/2 respectively caused by the cancellation of South Africa tours.

As a result, Engineer had the best view in the house as the "other batsman" for a portion of West Indies star all-rounder Garfield Sobers's blazing 254 for the World XI at Melbourne - an innings Don Bradman labelled the best he'd seen on Australian soil.

"Sobers was brilliant - he absolutely smashed Dennis Lillee to smithereens," recalled Engineer. "All I could keep on saying was 'great shot Sobey' while I was at the other end enjoying it all."