Sachin Tendulkar speaks on India-Pakistan bilateral series

New York, Nov 3: Advocating the need for improvement in relations between India and Pakistan, batting legend Sachin said if the governments of the two countries feel a bilateral cricket series is the "ideal way" to move forward then it should be held.

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Tendulkar said the ball is entirely on the respective government's court to take a call on the resumption of bilateral cricket ties.

"These are issues which the two countries' government needs to decide," Tendulkar told reporters here yesterday (November 2) when asked about the hardships that has come up in the proposed bilateral series between India and Pakistan in UAE in December.

"Also I think that the relations (between India and Pakistan) need to improve. If the governments feel that this (cricket) is the ideal way to move forward and the (cricket) boards (feel so), I do not see any reason why we should not play.

"(But) if they (governments) feel it is inappropriate then we have to abide by them," he added.

Tendulkar is here along with Australian spin legend Shane Warne for the inaugural 'Cricket All Stars 2015', a three-city Twenty20 rubber involving retired stars of the game.

'Cricket All Stars 2015' series, brainchild of Tendulkar and Warne, will bring together 28 of the biggest names of the game, including former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Sri Lankan spin legend Muttaiah Muralitharan, former West Indian captain Brian Lara and former Pakistan pacers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar.

The first match of the series between Sachin's Blasters and Warne's Warriors will be played in the famed 45,000 seater Citi Field, the home of Major League Baseball's New York Mets.

Talking about the series, Tendulkar said it aims to globalise cricket, which is the second most popular sport in the world. He said through the series, they aim to introduce more people to the game and encourage youngsters in the US aspiring to play the game in future.

PTI