Pakistan cricket doesn't need India to survive, claims PCB chief Mani

Pakistan Cricket Board has suffered massive revenue losses but it doesn't need India to "survive" and keep its finances flowing, PCB chairman Ehsan Mani said on Tuesday. Terming the BCCI as "unreliable", Mani said Pakistan cricket is vibrant and strong enough despite not playing any bilateral series with India for long.

'Pakistan cricket doesn't need India to survive'

"We have suffered losses but they (India) are not in our thinking or planning. It is like a Pie in the Sky situation. We have to live without them and we don't need them to survive," he said in a podcast released by the PCB's media department.  "I am clear if India doesn't want to play we have to plan without them. Once or twice they have made promises to play against us but pulled out at the last moment," the former ICC head added.

India had avoided playing Pakistan in a full bilateral series since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.  Mani said resumption of bilateral cricketing ties with India in the foreseeable future is uncertain. "Right now we play against them (India) in ICC events and Asia Cup and that is okay because we are interested in playing cricket.  "We want to keep politics and sports apart," he said.

Image credits: AP