Archrivals India and Pakistan will be facing each other in a Friendship-cum-charity match on the invitation of Prince of Wales in Glasgow. The match is scheduled for July 3 and will help raise funds for charities in the UK and sub-continent.
The invitation to both teams came on the eve of the 60th anniversary of independence of India and Pakistan. Both countries are eager to play each other. India and Pakistan have always attracted crowds when it comes to battling it up on the ground. Fans curiously wait for an India-Pakistan game. So, this special one-day will offer fans from both countries a chance to see their teams fighting each other. Moreover, the match is expected to raise over £2.5m funds for charity.
The British Asian Trust is organizing the Friendship ODI and over 5,000 tickets are on sale through an online ballot.
The cricket boards of both countries welcomed the idea by the Prince and Lalit Modi, vice-president of India’s Board of Control said,
This will be an amazing occasion as both our nations have not met outside the World Cup or the ICC Trophy in the United Kingdom. With such large Indian and Pakistani-origin populations it will be a fantastic opportunity to play such a match in aid of such a wonderful cause. The game was His Royal Highness’s idea and we are pleased that together with Cricket Scotland we have been able to put this into our tour of the United Kingdom.
On the other side, director of the Pakistan cricket board, Zakir Khan, on behalf of his board welcoming the plan said,
We are very pleased that we have been able to make this game happen with the help of Cricket Scotland and the BCCI. Glasgow will be a great venue as there is a great passion for cricket across the UK which will make it a fantastic match, collecting funds for a most worthy cause.
The fans of both the countries will eagerly await the July 3 match especially after the world cup debacle for both sides. Moreover, India and Pakistan have one of the most intense rivalries in world cricket. The two sides last met in a two-match series in Abu Dhabi over a year ago, which ended in a tie.
via:BBC
