Wouldve played better if India were here: Pak coach

Pakistan may be the Twenty20 world champions,but their under-21 cricket team failed to make the South Asian Games Twenty20 final...

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Pakistan may be the Twenty20 world champions,but their under-21 cricket team failed to make the South Asian Games Twenty20 final on Sunday,attributing their lack of motivation to the absence of archrivals India. The newly introduced Twenty20 competition was eventually won by Bangladesh on Sunday,who beat Sri Lanka in the final by six runs. If India had been participating,there would have been more enthusiasm,more competition. We really missed them, said Pakistan coach Mohammad Azam Khan.

India-Pakistan rivalry on the cricket field always brings out the best. If they were here,our boys would have played more positive cricket. But we are still clueless why they didnt take part in the cricket competition, the 40-year-old said.

He also said it was difficult to pick an under-21 team. Our under-19 boys,having made the World Cup final in New Zealand,were not available and we were informed at the very last minute,so it was difficult to make the side. But we still have a few good players in Umar Amin,Nayyar Abbas. Its sad we lost out.

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Khan,who has played one Test and six ODIs,called for the resumption of Indo-Pak cricketing ties and said politics should stay off the pitch. We cricketers have always been been very good friends off the field. Its the sport which is suffering with the interference of politics. We must resume our cricketing ties, Khan said.

Talking about the IPL auction where Pakistan players were ignored by the Indian franchisees,Khan said it seemed like a well-scripted drama. There must be political pressure on the franchisees. Otherwise,who would not want Shahid Afridi? he asked.

At the South Asian Games,Twenty20 cricket has been introduced for the first time with the competition involving under-21 sides.