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Pak board seeks ICC intervention
Islamabad, Feb 13: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday hinted that it might approach the ICC to intervene if the Indian cricket team backed out of its tour of Pakistan next month at the eleventh hour on grounds of security.
Islamabad, Feb 13: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday hinted that it might approach the ICC to intervene if the Indian cricket team backed out of its tour of Pakistan next month at the eleventh hour on grounds of security.
Asked for his reaction to reports emanating from New Delhi that the Indian home ministry favoured rescheduling of the tour until after Lok Sabha polls, PCB chief Sheyar Khan told reporters that the Pakistan board strongly believed that the tour would take place and it would await an official word from Indian cricket board.
Replying to a question, he said if the tour did not take place, PCB would have to seek remedy from International Cricket Council.
Khan said that PCB went ahead with its arrangements, including the preparations to provide full proof security to the Indian cricketers and was very much hopeful that the tour would not be cancelled.
He also said that the Pakistan Cricket Board is not in favour of holding the matches on neutral venues.
The Indian cricket board and security officials currently visiting Pakistan have been given a detailed demonstration by top Pakistani security officials. Back home even as the Centre has said the Indian cricket team's tour of Pakistan next month was being reconsidered, the cricket board today maintained that it was yet to receive any formal advisory in this regard.
"Not yet. I have not received any communication from the government till now," BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya told today when asked whether the government has sent any communication to cancel or postpone the historic tour.
Dalmiya's comments came after reports from Delhi said that the union home ministry has suggested to the Board to postpone the tour beginning in the first week of March till after the Lok Sabha polls in April-May.
Union Minister of State (Home) Swami Chinmayanand has also confirmed last evening that a rethinking was being done on the tour following the recent happenings in Pakistan mainly with regard to the exposure of nuclear proliferation by the Pakistani scientists.
"We have been forced to think again. Our intelligence agencies have advised us to think again,", Chinmayanand said.
The Board President has also said he would not be able to say anything till the three-member BCCI team, currently in Pakistan to oversee the security arrangements, returns here on Monday.
Bureau Report
Replying to a question, he said if the tour did not take place, PCB would have to seek remedy from International Cricket Council.
Khan said that PCB went ahead with its arrangements, including the preparations to provide full proof security to the Indian cricketers and was very much hopeful that the tour would not be cancelled.
He also said that the Pakistan Cricket Board is not in favour of holding the matches on neutral venues.
The Indian cricket board and security officials currently visiting Pakistan have been given a detailed demonstration by top Pakistani security officials. Back home even as the Centre has said the Indian cricket team's tour of Pakistan next month was being reconsidered, the cricket board today maintained that it was yet to receive any formal advisory in this regard.
"Not yet. I have not received any communication from the government till now," BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya told today when asked whether the government has sent any communication to cancel or postpone the historic tour.
Dalmiya's comments came after reports from Delhi said that the union home ministry has suggested to the Board to postpone the tour beginning in the first week of March till after the Lok Sabha polls in April-May.
Union Minister of State (Home) Swami Chinmayanand has also confirmed last evening that a rethinking was being done on the tour following the recent happenings in Pakistan mainly with regard to the exposure of nuclear proliferation by the Pakistani scientists.
"We have been forced to think again. Our intelligence agencies have advised us to think again,", Chinmayanand said.
The Board President has also said he would not be able to say anything till the three-member BCCI team, currently in Pakistan to oversee the security arrangements, returns here on Monday.
Bureau Report