Board of Control for Cricket in India, according to several reports, could ask the International Cricket Council to ban Pakistan from the World Cup following the terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed.
The BCCI’s Committee of Administrators has drafted a letter to ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar to exclude Pakistan from the upcoming World Cup, according to a report in the Times of India.
The letter has been drafted by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri’s office after CoA head Vinod Rai’s approval, the report claimed, adding that there is also the possibility of India withdrawing from the World Cup if the request (if and when submitted to ICC) is not approved.
Meanwhile, PTI quoted an unnamed BCCI official, who said that India cannot stop Pakistan from playing the World Cup.
“There is absolutely no constitutional or contractual way this could happen. The ICC constitution allows members the right to participate in ICC events as long as they’ve qualified,” the official said.
Amid the speculations, the CoA members Rai and Diana Edulji
will be meeting in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the issue.
“We will discuss all possible options tomorrow and do what is best for the country,” Edulji told PTI.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh called for severance of sporting ties with Pakistan.
“There is no chance of a bilateral series with Pakistan after this incident. I agree that after this attack, India should not only stop playing cricket, hockey or football with Pakistan but cut all ties with them,” Ganguly told India TV.
“This is a 10-team World Cup and each team plays matches against every other team. I feel if India doesn’t play a match in the World Cup, it won’t be an issue,” Ganguly is quoted as saying.
Among the current players, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Mohammed Shami have called for decisive action to deal with terror strikes carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups.
Elsewhere, Pakistan’s 25m rapid fire pistol contingent could not make it to the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Delhi, that starts on Saturday, over visa issues.
