ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javaid Bajwa wanted tobecome a cricketer in his life, reveals Navjot Singh Sidhu.

He said COAS has told me that he wanted to be a cricketer,” India’scricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu told NDTV in an interview.

Sidhu visited Pakistan for the swearing-in of Prime Minister Imran Khantriggered controversy back home.

“Bajwa sahib came up to me and said, ‘I’m a General who wanted to be acricketer. It was his dream that he wanted to be a cricketer,” Sidhu saidwhen asked by the news anchor what did Pakistan’s army chief Gen QamarJaved Bajwa say when he hugged him at the swearing-in ceremony.

“He [Gen Bajwa] was very warm. He said, ‘Navjot, we want peace’. That waswonderful to hear,” Sindhu said. “And then without me saying anything, hesays, ‘when you celebrate 550th birthday of Baba Guru Nanak, we’ll open upthe Kartarpur sahib corridor’,” the former Indian cricket star said.

“It was a dream come true. I was so overjoyed [to hear that],” said Sidhu,the only Indian cricketer friend of Imran who attended his inauguration.

“He [Gen Qamar] said, ‘Happy!’. I said, ‘Sir, I’m very happy’. Then hecomes up [and hugs me] and says ‘We will think of doing even betterthings,’” Sidhu recalled. “It was very positive.”

Sidhu has come under fire from hardliner in India, for his Pakistan visitand especially for hugging the Pakistan army chief. However, he sought tosoothe the frayed tempers saying that Pakistan’s services chiefs met allguests sitting in the front row at the ceremony. He said that he had metthe chiefs of Pakistan’s navy and air force, not just the army chief.

“I think we need to take cognizance of the fact that this is a change. Andany change will bring hope. Hope sees the invisible, conquers theimpossible,” he said. Sidhu said that he has hope and trust in Imran Khanwhom he has known as a friend for the last 35 years.