Speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, Ashraf said that the Indian government had given clearance to the Pakistan cricket team and that both the countries will have to look for each other’s benefits.
He said that the PCB was holding talks with foreign cricket boards in order to revive international cricket in Pakistan.
Ashraf refused to mention any country that was planning to play in Pakistan because, he said, the forces planning against it will become active.
Shiv Sena threats may have failed to convince the India cricket board to shun the hugely-anticipated tour in December but it may put the return of Pakistan cricketers in the billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) in jeopardy.
The improving ties between the Pakistan and India cricket boards, which resulted in the confirmation of a short series between the archrivals in December, also made the possibility of Pakistan players featuring in the IPL ‘higher than ever’. The last time Pakistan cricketers took part in the IPL was in 2008.
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Vivek. Why are you crying? I just said I believe your Government, and not you, to be representative of majority of Indians as India is a democracy. Is there a rocket science involved in understanding this algorithm? If you really do not want Pakistanis on your soil, tell this on Indian forums so that your Govt. listen to you (and your majority as you claim) and block Pakistani incoming on Indian soil. Ranting on Pakistani forums won't lead you anywhere.
@Rest of the Indians
I hope you guys are keeping track of the ongoing discussion between me and "another pakistani". The logic used above by this person, is exactly the one used by saudi arabia and pakistan, when the Mumbai attacks happend, and is as follows:
YOUR SECURITY FORCES COULD NOT PREVENT THE ATTACK SO IT IS YOUR FAULT. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
Your foreign office issued the visa, so it is your fault... .. Cool.
@Vivek. They are coming on visa approved by your Foreign Office. Again you can request your Govt. to block them as the rest follows what I said above. Any more questions?
@another pakistani
What about the other pakistanis who keep coming down to India(singers, actors, terrorists...). Are they also coming on an official invitation ?
@Vivek...Then please tell that to your Govt. that you do not want Pakistani cricket team on your soil. We are on an official invitation from your cricket board and under approval by your Govt. And since you are the world's biggest democracy, we believe your Govt. to be representative of majority of Indians, not you.
Arif Khan : Salams Texas : If u want to know about hatred and spewing poison, go no further than pakistani school curriculam and books. Any amount of visits to Lahore and Taxela will not reverse that. May be you should ask Srilankan cricketers about their jolly bus ride in Lahore Another Pakistani : Rest of the cricketing world is not giving lectures to pakistanis because your poisoned mullahs and terrorists do not target them from 1947? do they. Do you know where is Mumbai, by the way?
kudos Arif Khan! well said!
@Texas:
I frankly don't think that Ram Singh's comments can be construed as "poison" He is just saying that Pakistanis should get back to civilized human behaviour and go after those barbarians who perpetrated and masterminded the Mumbai carnage. And why should that commentator come to Lahore and Taxila? Indians - or for that matter the entire world -- do not look upon Pakistan as a tourist destination. Safety concern is the overriding factor for anyone wanting to set foot on that country's soil. I am an Indian Muslim and must say that the real 'poison" flows from the mouths of Pakistani mullahs who seem to be suffering from oral diarrhoea when they launch their almost daily tirades against the "enemies" of Pakistan -- India, the USA, Israel and the usual stuff. There is a big problem with most Pakistanis who do not acknowledge that their country is beset with extremism and that by tolerating it they have merely encouraged it to thrive further. I pray, however, that saner persons take control of this country which, sadly, is headed towards self-destruction or, worse still, Talibanization. And as for the lovely game of cricket -- I am a great cricket lover myself, having played it in school and college -- the game suffers because of this attitude on the part of the Pakistanis. Got the picture, Sir?
@another pakistani.
So, please keep it that way, and do not ever come down to India. The majority of Indians do not want pakistanis of any ilk in India. Period.
@Texas
Cool. So explain this, my logical member:
How come the population of Hindus has decreased in Pakistan, while it has gone up in India after independence? Lest you say that this is an isolated case, how come the muslim population in every non muslim country goes up, while that of the non muslims goes down in every muslim/non muslim country ?
@Texas:And thats why this man zaka ashraf and your media is acting like a cry baby..Have some guts and try it to have a match venue in Mumbai..... Oh i forgot,now a days you guys r blowing yourselves..not a big deal
@Ram Singh:
Wow .... spewing a lot of poison ... aren't you? This much hatred will eat you from the inside .... Mr. law-abiding and civilized society member !!! Ask one of your brothers who has been to Lahore/Taxilla about what Pakistanis are like, when they come for their Yatra !!!
@Nitish:
Street dog ko sher kiyun keh rahay ho aap ?
@Ram Singh. India is not majority of the world, dude. We have played series in almost every Test playing nation in these 3 yrs, except for India, and had them invited to play with us at neutral venues. Also rest of the world is not that desperate to give us lectures and waste their energy on our issues. There are only trolls from your fellow beings who vent their whole day of frustration on our forums.
@vasan: @nitish @vivek
This man Zaka Ashraf, a nobody outside his country, advises Bal Thakeray (I am no fan of the Shiv Sena) to turn away from the path of extremism. India is a very tolerant country, particularly towards its minorities; that's the reason why we have Muslims enjoying high positions in politics, business, government offices, Bollywood and cricket. In fact, extremism is the religion of Pakistan. I wonder why Mr.Ashraf does not address the same message to the hate-mongering mullahs and their thugs in his own country. In fact, he has not said a word about the terrorist attack on a 14 year old child called Malala. Having said that, I have also wondered why Pakistanis are so desperate to play in India when they are bluntly told they are unwelcome by the majority of the the world, particularly India which has seen defenseless small children, women and men in Mumbai mowed down by Pakistani killers. Are we supposed to forget them? In any law-abiding, civilized society, killers are not allowed to go scot-free. They are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law because they pose a threat to society with their horrendous acts and their killer instincts. The men behind the Mumbai carnage are running around free in Pakistan right under the nostrils of politicians and other corrupt officials. Unless Mr. Ashaf was educated in a madrassa, he ought to know the connotation of the word "extremism" which is rampant in his self-perceived "paradise", as most delusionary Pakistanis like to call their country which, in fact, has been described as an "international migraine" by Madam Albright, former US Secretary of State. It is a nation that lives on borrowed money, time, etc. -- everything borrowed and begged. If they are serious and sincere about ties with India -- and this is not just confined to cricket -- Pakistanis should clean up their mess and bring to justice all those criminals who get away with murder in the name of religion. And please teach your kids in schools subjects that will help them become nation builders later in life; don't teach them distorted facts and fiction or condition their impressionable minds with thoughts of violence and extremism which will lead your country to self destruction. .
@Neeraj: You read my mind:)..
".... both the countries will have to look for each other’s benefits......"
You continue to live in fools paradise Zaka. You need to look at 'your' benefits, thats what India is and has been doing and not getting hung up on one thing... if there is alignment along the way with others then fine but primary purpose is to safegaurd own interest.
Pakistan interest is in self sufficiecy in cricket and that will be through good organization of professional league with our without foreign players. Our talent pool is enough to host a decent professional league which would be much better than 'zero' which is the current status. Please snap out of one point agenda of some how begging other country into agreement of playing a bilateral series, first it will not draw crowd and second it will have no sound reliability that it will happen, third bilateral serieses are going to get obsolete with time anyways. Once you build sound in-home league other people will pay attention and come to the table. All you have to do is to take away pakistan audience from IPL and steal 5% of the other audience.
Question is why do Pakistanis even want to play in India ?
Did not the ball eater shahid afridi mention that Indians have small hearts ? Did not sohail tanveer mention that "hinduon ke jehniyaat hi aisi hai,dikha di ab kya kar sakte hai"" ?Sir,I will suggest you to not to indulge in political war of words.You r chairman of a cricket board.It is not expected from you.As far as security is concerned,when we have invited you then its our responsibility to assure the safety of your players.Statements like this can worsen the situation.Bal thackrey belongs to india not you.Had he ever addressed you guys directly on any forum ?He is against resumption of cricket ties which is his legitimate right as far as democracy is concerned.Sher ko dawat kyun de rahe ho aap...
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf said on Thursday that the board was not scared of threats from, Shiv Sena and advised party chief Bal Thackeray to renounce extremism and move forward with positive thinking, Express News reported. A Pakistan advising others to renounce extremism ?? Biggest joke, this must be. Can he preach this to HAfeez Sayeed, Ilyas Kashmiri, SiS chief etc in his own country ?
In India no one is scared of Bal Thackray, how could Pakistanis scraed of him...
Shiv Sena is not a person ! Bal Thackray is !
Bal Thakrey and Shiv sena has no appeal in India. There is no base for them except in a few localities within Maharashtra. Only media coverage these kind of people get is thru hate campaign which may be religion, language or regional basis. As a neighbour we have to move forward for betterment of our peoples. I have strong faith in Indian security establishment to make it a succesful tour. Same time I also expect my Pakistani brothers to come out of clutches of people like Hafiz Saeed and Hameed Gul who are reaping benefits coming out of hate.