There has always been a strong rivalry between the two countries, but its nature has changed over the years. During my playing days it was much more emotional in nature than what exists in the present generation.
Nowadays the two countries play each other a lot more. There is no long wait before the two teams clash.
After a defeat the administrators, players and the fans are more forgiving as there is always a tomorrow.
However, the situation was very different in the 1970s and 80s.
The two countries had been at war with each other earlier and the political situation was not very amicable. There was a sense of animosity.
When Bishen Singh Bedi’s team came over to Pakistan in the October of 1978, the two countries were playing each other after nearly 18 years. There was a lot of expectation and pressure on the players to perform.
It was a very important series and both teams, more than ever before, wanted to prove that ‘we are better than you’.
Actually in those days some of the players had never met the Indian cricketers before and had only heard their names.
So it was during the series that some of them met each other for the first time. To the credit of Bedi and his team, they were perfect ambassadors and won the hearts of the Pakistani people.
So when we toured India in 1979, the brief I was given was to ensure that there was no incident that would spoil the relationship between the two countries.

dnaindia

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PAKISTAN T20 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS 2009

I am also in miami. I go to UM (University of Miami). Where do you play cricket?

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BALLE BALLE INZI...I AM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY, INZI.

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD