Gen. Musharraf wishes Dhoni's boys ahead of encounter with Pak

Former Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday wished the Indian cricket team good luck ahead of the much awaited encounter between the two arch-rivals in the ongoing World Cup 2015.

In an interview with a new agency, General Musharraf praised the batting of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, admitting that he enjoys watching the latter bat.

"The people enjoy watching the aggressive batting of Dhoni and he is very smart person. I wish him all the best for tomorrow's match. However, as a patriotic Pakistani, I would like Pakistan to win the match," he said.

"With a batting line up comprising Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni , Indian team looks stronger . But as far as the Pakistan team is concerned, they have the potential to defeat the best team and they can lose the match from the worst team," he added.

General Musharraf further opined that cricket could be a tool to strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

"'Cricket diplomacy' should be used for the betterment of bilateral relations. It should not be used to enhance bitterness and increase the tension. The game should be taken in a sportsman's spirit," he said.

"I remember one particular match in Lahore, where Indian team was playing and the entire Lahore crowd was cheering them, and both the nations are very enthusiastic about it," he added.

General Musharraf also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the World Cup, stating that it would help in easing the tension between the two nations.

India, in its first match of the 2015 edition of the World Cup, faces arch-rivals Pakistan, to be played in Adelaide.