The terror attack in Gurdaspur, Punjab leads BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur to virtually rule out any cricketing ties with the neigbouring country
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur
New Delhi: The BCCI yesterday appeared to rule out an immediate resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties in the wake of Gurdaspur terror attack, in which militants from the across the border are believed to be involved.
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BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur
There were talks about resumption of bilateral cricket ties between the two nations at the end of this year but BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said that it may not be possible under such circumstances.
Asked specifically if India and Pakistan can resume cricket ties, Thakur talked tough and said it was not a possibility now.
“Earlier too there was no such decision that the (Indo-Pak) series will take place. It’s just that the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has reached out to the BCCI. We were talking on those lines, but when you see such attacks on India time and again, the Jammu region, now in Punjab, where Indians are losing their lives, as an Indian, I don’t see a possibility to that (series),” Thakur told a TV channel yesterday.
An Indian fan poses with flags of India and Pakistan outside the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera near Ahmedabad before a Twenty20 match on December 28, 2012. Pic/AFP
The Hamirpur MP condemned the terror attack in Gurdaspur, where seven persons were killed, including an SP. “I condemn the terrorist attacks, specially in the Gurdaspur region. If you talk about cricket with Pakistan, we must understand that the life of every Indian is very important to us.
As I see my responsibility as BCCI secretary, as a Parliamentarian, the life of every Indian is very important to me. It’s not only about cricket, it’s about my country.” Thakur made it clear that unless the situation improves, the two Asian neighbours won’t play cricket. “I think, before we step onto the cricket field, it’s important to clear the issues between the two Boards and the two counties. If we don’t clear those issues, it would not be possible to enter that territory,” he said.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan, during a visit to Kolkata in this year met with the BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya and proposed a series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s in UAE in December this year.
The series is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two Boards last year. India have not played a full bilateral Test series with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which led to suspension of cricketing ties between the two countries.
The two nations played a short series of three ODIs and two T20 matches in India in December 2012, but otherwise they have met only in ICC-organised events or the Asia Cup.
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