Shahid Afridi has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) fiasco could have been avoided had the T20 league organisers and franchises restrained themselves from allowing politics to influence their decision.
"I am a great believer of the fact that sports breed harmony and peace among people. What happened in the IPL auction should not have happened had the people responsible understood the basic message of sports and shunned the political differences to select the best players for their teams," Afridi said.
In an interview with The Dawn over telephone from Adelaide, Afridi said snubbing Pakistani cricketers has further widened the rift between both the countries.
"One step forward from them would see us going ten steps to make the event a success. It would not only had improved cross-border relations but had paved the way for future Pakistan-India series which is unarguably the greatest cricketing spectacle on earth.
"But unfortunately, there weren't many sane voices among the organizers who could balance things in a good way," Pakistan's T-20 skipper said.
Afridi, however, said that he and his team mates would response positively if the IPL franchises offer them a respectable deal.
"If they (IPL franchises) show willingness to mend fences and come forward with a positive offer, we will reciprocate in the same manner because that's how good neighbours should always behave," he said.
