They have a dream8230;

NEW DELHI, AUG 14: Fifty years after partition, cricketers on both sides of the border overwhelmingly favour the idea of an unbeatable comb...

NEW DELHI, AUG 14: Fifty years after partition, cricketers on both sides of the border overwhelmingly favour the idea of an unbeatable combined Indo-Pak 8220;Dream Team8221;, but say both countries should play more Test matches to create a conducive climate for the vision to realize.

8220;It would be a great experience playing as part of such a team, let it not remain a dream,8221; says Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar, in a interview to a Malayalam magazine Mathrubhumi Sports Masika.

Captaincy, Tendulkar says, will not be an issue. 8220;I am prepared to play for such a team if I am invited only as a batsman.8221;

8220;It is a dream we always nurtured in the heart of our hearts, but never had the courage to express,8221; says an excited Zaheer Abbas, coach of the Pakistani team.

8220;What a great line up would it be. Which team under the sun would be able to beat them,8221; he exclaims.

8220;The players in the two teams have no differences. I have lot of friends in the Indian team,8221; says Pakistan captain Rameez Raza. He, however, says it is necessary to organise more Test matches between the two cricketing giants to remove any ill-will and convey a fraternal message to the game8217;s lovers on both sides.

Concurs former Pakistani skipper Asif Iqbal, 8220;It is very important that we revive the tradition of Test cricket and participate in more tournaments. It would reduce tension on both sides.8221;

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He, nevertheless, says, 8220;a combined team is a dream we all share.8221; A joint Indo-Pak team would be conducive to the growth of cricket in both countries, Iqbal says while expressing the hope that it may also help in establishing the sub-continent as a permanent venue for the World Cup.

8220;My roots are in India. I feel totally at home playing in Eden Gardens, Mohali et al. It has always been my dream to bat alongside Sachin and Azhar bhai as part of the same team,8221; says star batsman Inzamam-ul Haq.

8220;Great idea. It would also lead to the resolution of several other outstanding problems between the two countries,8221; says Ravi Shastri, adding it will be necessary to prepare sporting wickets on both sides prior to reviving the Test tradition. 8220;Only by playing more cricket will we be able to give concrete shape to the idea of a joint team.8221;

8220;I wonder whether my desire to be the manager of such a team would ever realise,8221; wonders veteran Mohinder Amarnath. He, however, cautioned that politics should not be dragged into sports.

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8220;Let it not merely remain a dream,8221; says former Indian captain and international umpire S Venkataraghavan. A combined Indo-Pak team would change the very face of world cricket, he says, while suggesting that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka too can be included at a later stage.

8220;Aren8217;t we late for the idea. Will I get a chance in the team,8221; asks former Pakistani skipper Salim Malik.

8220;It is an idea we should build. We have brought the World Cup thrice to the sub-continent. This team will be able to retain it forever,8221; said Malik adding that it would not be a bad idea to include the Lankans in the team.

8220;quot;It would be a thrill bowling with Kumble. Both countries have a great tradition in spin bowling. I am a great fan of Bedi, Prasanna and Chandrashekar. I hope to play like them one day,8221; says off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

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8220;Yes. It would undoubtedly be a dream team. Both India and Pakistan are cricketing giants. It is my desire to lead Sri Lanka against this team.

quot;It would be a great contest, irrespective of the outcome,8221; says Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.