Can't play cricket when people are dying on borders: BCCI secretary

Anurag Thakur says his personal opinion is different from what BCCI members have decided

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur, on Wednesday, said his personal opinion on the Pakistan-India series was that it should not be held since people are losing their lives on the borders of both countries.

"Your people are getting killed at the border, will you play cricket? Of course, I will say no. Any Indian will say no to that. My personal feeling could be different, but as an organisation, what the BCCI members have decided I have to honour that, because I'm the secretary of the board," Thakur told NDTV.



"Whatever the former secretary has signed and which is binding on BCCI, today I can't get away from that," he added.

Thakur was also of the view that the BCCI has a duty to respect its commitments towards every Full member including Pakistan.

"I think we have a commitment to every Full member. When you enter into a bilateral agreement, it is your commitment towards other boards that in this year, in this month, on this date we will come and play you on a mutually decided venue.



"For example on April 9, 2014, former secretary of the BCCI (Sanjay Patel) had signed an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the lines of the ICC meeting. In that agreement it's clearly mentioned that if you help us passing certain resolutions in the ICC, we will come and play you in a neutral venue.”

The PCB chief Shahryar Khan also told AFP on Wednesday that the chances of a Pakistan-India series were as good as “over”, adding that the foreign office had conveyed to him that without talks on cricket it would be “difficult” to arrange any series.



The only impediment in the series for the moment is the Indian government’s permission to the BCCI to play the series. Meawhile, the Pakistan government has already approved the series against India which is reportedly going to be played in Sri Lanka.

According to the ICC's schedule, Pakistan were supposed to host India in the UAE for a full tour comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s later this year.



Thakur also said that he can't force Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) agenda or his personal opinion on BCCI.

"When people ask me on social media about the series, I can't force BJP's agenda or my personal opinion on BCCI. But what BCCI takes a call as an organization, I've to convey that to the government of India," said Thakur.