Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan disclosed that the government had sought their opinion regarding the match to be played at Dharamsala between India and Pakistan. We told them the match cannot be played at Dharamsala under any circumstances, he said.
Shaharyar also said he had no reports of the venue being shifted from Dharamsala to any other place so far but said it will happen.
Earlier, the Pakistani delegation that had undertaken a trip to inspect and monitor the security arrangements at Dharamsala for the upcoming T20 clash between both cricketing giants were not convinced by the safety measures that had been taken for the Pakistani cricket team.
It was stated in the security report that ‘Security was not assured in Dharamsala’, ‘ICC to be asked to provide an alternate venue such as Mohali or Kolkata’ and that ‘public assurance from the Indian government would facilitate Pakistan’s participation.’
Earlier, Indian media had claimed that the visiting Pakistan security delegation had provided a clean chit to the security measures at Dharamsala and the high-octane India-Pakistan clash would go ahead as per schedule.
Speaking exclusively to ARY News, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said the final decision on whether Pakistan would go to India for the T20 World Cup would be taken by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar today. He also said the national cricket team had to depart for India today by afternoon, as per schedule.
Pakistan has been skeptical about sending its cricket team to India after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had stated publicly that he could not provide security to the Pakistani cricket team. Singh had suggested shifting the venue to any other place other than Dharamsala out of respect for those killed during the Pathankot attack. He had also alleged that the attack had been carried out by ‘Pakistani militants’.
The much anticipated India-Pakistan Twenty20 clash is to take place on March 19, if all goes well. Matches between both arch rivals is always a spectacle to witness since the contest pulls in millions of viewers across the globe from both cricket-mad countries.
