Shimla, Mar 2:
Board of Control for Cricket in India today tried to end dead lock with Himachal Pradesh Government to smoothly conduct the Indo-Pak T 20 match to be play at International Cricket Stadium Dharmsala on Mar 19, 2016.
Following shooting of letter by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to Union Home Minster Raj Nath Singh showing inability of state to host the international cricket stadium Dharmshala following boycott of match by number of political leaders of BJP and Congress including the kin and kith of martyr died in recent Pathankot terror attack.
BCCI secretary Mr Anurag Thakur today came to Shimla and met with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at his Vidhan Sabha chamber this afternoon. The two leader accompanied by HPCA officer bears reportedly had meeting for half an hour.
After the meeting Mr Thakur told media persons that dead lock seemed to be end as they have conducive meeting on the issue of conducting Indo Pak match. He said that Mr Singh told the HPCA officer bears that state government did not opposed the Cricket Match however it was concerned when martyrs family decided to boycott the match and decided to oppose the match at Dharmshala. Mr Thakur said that he told the chief minister that cricket control board of India and Pakistan were not agree to hold the bilateral match between the two nation due to constrained relation however proposed T 20 match was to be organised by the ICC for which this nation is committed to hold it smoothly and peacefully.
BCCI secretary also said that he urged the chief minster to assist the BCCI to hold this event smoothly as it was not decided after the terror attack but fixed by the ICC about six month back. He said that if match has to shifted from here or suspended it would damage the commitment of nation given to ICC to host this match moreover reputation of this hill state to be harmed. Mr Thakur had said that the match has been fixed long time back and it would be difficult to change the venue when ticket have been booked and all preparation is in final stage. The BCCI or HPCA could not be blamed for holding the match deliberately to hurt the feeling of Martyr family as it was fixed six month before the terror attack occurred at Pathankot.
Talking to media persons after the meeting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that state never told the BCCI or India government that it did not want to host the match however it had shown security concern after writing a letter to union home ministry.
Mr Singh said that during the meeting HPCA office bears have been asked by the state to ensure that kin and kith of martyrs to be consoled by them as they were opposing the match as given call to boycott it in wake of Pathankot terror attack.
Chief minister said that state government would not bear the responsibility to if martyrs family members and political leaders supporting them create hurdle during the international event. Mr Singh said that state government never said that it did not want T-20 series match expect Indo-Pak match. But if BCCI or HPCA take responsibility of all peaceful and smooth conducting match state is ready to provided the security to hold this event.
After the meeting Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Thakur gave the response that both are ready to hold the Indo Pak match at Dharmshala ending the dead lock. The meeting between the two leaders reported congenial and positive. It is learned that BCCI has also asked the HPCA office bears to meet with the martyrs family member at Kangra district today. UNI