Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan feels the time is ripe for India and Pakistan to resume cricket ties as the game could become a cementing factor for friendly ties between the two countries.
The cricketer-turned-politician said it is a "good idea" to resume rivalry on the cricket field now in the background of peace initiatives taken by the political establishments in both India and Pakistan.
"I think because there is a perception in the public that a dialogue is starting, there is first step forward. So, once you go in that direction cricket is going to help," Imran Khan said in an interview to Worldview India to be telecast on Doordarshan national network tomorrow.
Khan disagreed with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's perception that cricket is a trivial issue in India-Pakistan relations.
"If there is animosity between the two countries then cricket plays a divisive role. It further accentuates the animosity and if the relationship is cordial or getting closer then cricket plays a cementing part," he said.
To hammer home his point, Khan said, "You see if there is tension, for instance as it was after Kargil, then cricket would have made it worse. Because you know then cricket becomes the battlefield. And the supporters then are at each other's throats.
"On the other hand, as there seems to be light at the end of tunnel right now, then I think cricket helps. It is going to cement more. I mean I am all for it. I think it is time to resume cricketing ties," he said.
Emphasising that he had never received more affection in any country that what he experienced on his first tour of India, Khan, however, said he strongly felt that an India-Pakistan cricket match is nothing less than a war.
"It is a war. It is a friendly war if the countries are friendly and it gets quite hostile if there is hostility between the two countries."
On Pakistan's poor World Cup performance, the 1992-World Cup winning skipper said though everyone is extremely disappointed there is no need to conduct an inquiry into it.
"Pakistan was the only country which lost without any reason. I mean other teams... England forfeited a match. West Indies were affected by rain but Pakistan just lost without any excuse.
"For a country that reached the final in the previous World Cups to not even qualify in the top six -- it caused tremendous amount of disappointment and that public disappointment was reflected in this need to conduct an inquiry which of course turned out to be eyewash."
