Shiv Sena’s anti-Pakistan protests hit BCCI-PCB talks
Talks between the Indian cricket board president (BCCI) Shashank Manohar and his Pakistan counterpart Shahryar Khan were cancelled on Monday following protests by hundreds of Shiv Sena activists at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
“The talks are not happening as of now due to the current situation, but you cannot say that it won’t happen in future,” a top BCCI source was quoted by PTI agency on conditions of anonymity.
PCB chairman, Shahryar Khan and executive committee head, Najam Sethi had travelled to India on an invitation from Manohar to discuss the scheduled series in December.
Relations between the neighbours have been tense after the collapse of planned peace talks between India and Pakistan in August this year. The two countries last played each other in a ODI series hosted by India in 2012-13.
“Strongly condemns the attack on BCCI Office by Shiv Sena," senior BCCI official Rajiv Shukla tweeted. “BCCI is a responsible body and will not do anything against national interest. Cricketing decisions should be left to BCCI,” added Shukla, who is expected to meet Khan and Sethi along with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur in Delhi on Tuesday.
“Cricket is a gentleman’s game and the spirit of the game expects same generosity and tolerance from those who love the game,” the Indian Premier League chairman further tweeted.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) also jumped into the fray and has asked for politics to not be mixed with sport.
“It's not a new thing. It's been happening for long. But being the ICC president, I want cricket to spread all around the world,” former Pakistan batsman and ICC president Zaheer Abbas said.
“Politics and cricket are two different things. Pakistan is not asking India to play in Pakistan. Pakistan is asking for a bilateral series to be played at a neutral venue," he told TV channels.
“Nothing better than India and Pakistan playing each other. The whole world and the people of both India and Pakistan are waiting for the series. The world is hoping that India will give good news to the cricketing world.”
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