Former Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has earlier asked for an India-Pakistan series to help raise funds in the fight against the global pandemic novel coronavirus outbreak, but PCB chief Ehsan Mani has made it clear that the Pakistan Cricket Board doesn’t need the BCCI or any funds to combat this situation.

"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."

In fact, Mani further added that he is happy to see the clash in ICC events and the Asia Cup between the two arch-rivals.

"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.

Interestingly, former India player and batting great Sunil Gavaskar also joked on that matter that there are more chances of snowfall in Lahore than there is a match of an India-Pakistan bilateral series in the near future.

"There are more chances of snowfall in Lahore than bilateral series between India and Pakistan," said Sunil Gavaskar in a Youtube chat with former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja. "Both teams will keep on meeting in World Cups and ICC tournaments, but a series between them seem unlikely right now."

Earlier, Shoaib Akhtar's suggestion got the support from his former teammate and one of the best all-rounders of his time, Shahid Afridi. But India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said that the match doesn't need to take place because India doesn't need funds to combat the global pandemic.

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