Pakistan ready to cancel hockey World Cup tour

Updated on: 22 January,2010 08:15 AM IST |
ND Prashant |

There is a probability that the Pakistan hockey team will not tour India for the upcoming FIH World Cup to be played in New Delhi

With the India-Pakistan relations hitting a new low after their cricketers were snubbed by the Indian Premier League franchises, there is a probability that the Pakistan hockey team will not tour India for the upcoming FIH World Cup to be played in New Delhi from February 28 to March 13.

"We have yet to get a clearance from the Pakistan government. If they won't give it, we won't go. We would have loved to play in India and even beat them there, but we will stand by the government's decision," Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary general Asif Bajwa said here on the sidelines of a World Cup build-up series against Holland.u00a0

The IPL
franchise owners said they were reluctant to sign the Pakistanis, fearing they may not get visas to play in India as political relations between the two countries soured recently due to terrorist activities. But Bajwa disagreed.
"Our players have already got the clearance from the Board. The visa and player availability issue is just an excuse," he said.

Pakistan skipper Zeeshan Ashraf had similar feelings. "The decision whether we should tour or no depends on our government. We will abide by whatever they say. But it would be nice if sports and politics are kept away," he said.

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