Mumbai, Jan 16:
Amid simmering tension on the Indo-Pak border, the Pakistan women cricket team’s participation in the upcoming World Cup here continued to remain uncertain with security concerns and possible political protests prompting the BCCI to suggest alternative venues.
The BCCI has already apprised the International Cricket Council of the situation prevailing in India following the killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani Army and the game’s governing body is expected to take a final decision soon.
With Mumbai Cricket Association making it clear that it would be difficult to host the matches involving Pakistani team in the city, the ICC may have to announce a new venue for the matches.
A day after all the nine Pakistani hockey players, taking part in the Hockey India League, were asked to return home, the fate of Pakistan’s women cricket team continued to remain under a cloud with Mumbai and Ahmedabad refusing to host the matches.
Fearing that the matches could be disrupted, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf had suggested to the ICC that the entire World Cup tournament should be shifted to South Africa.
“Women’s World Cup is an ICC event and if the security is not good enough in India then the world governing body should consider shifting it to a neutral venue like South Africa or somewhere,” he said.
“I would want to leave it ICC to decide. The entire tournament has to go to a neutral venue and a few matches cannot be shifted to another country and rest play somewhere. If it happens in India then there should be proper security arrangement, otherwise it could be shifted to another venue,” Ashraf said. (PTI)
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