Former cricketers divided on government’s stance

Pakistan have asked for written assurance that players will be safe in India

KARACHI:

Former cricketers are divided on the government’s stance of allowing the national men’s and women’s teams to participate in the World T20 only if Pakistan is provided public assurance from the Indian government regarding security of players and fans who will travel to India.

The International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday that the venue for the high-voltage India-Pakistan match has been shifted from Dharamsala to Kolkata. The decision came after a three-man Pakistan security review team, tasked with the responsibility of assessing the conditions in India, raised concerns regarding Dharamsala’s hostile environment towards Pakistanis.



Some believe that since the venue has already been changed to Kolkata on security grounds, Pakistan should be a little more flexible in its approach, while others feel the government’s firm stance is justified.

‘Security the primary concern’

Former selector Shoaib Mohammad feels there should be no compromise on security and the teams should only be allowed to travel if their security is assured, especially considering political ramifications.

“The Pakistan government is doing the right thing by asking for public assurance from India because even a minor mishap can result in major differences between the two nations,” Shoaib told The Express Tribune.

Government should be more flexible: Jalaluddin

Jalaluddin — who claimed the first-ever hat-trick in ODIs while representing Pakistan — believes the government can be a little more flexible.



“My personal view is that India doesn’t want Pakistan to participate in the World T20, and we need to be very careful we don’t play into their hands,” he said. “They have changed the venue so we must not indulge in other things and should instead just focus on the match ahead.”

Jalaluddin pointed out that while cricket may be overshadowed by politics at the moment, the team needs to keep their eyes on the prize. “The Pakistan team should now go and try to beat India; that is the most important thing,” he said. “The board and the government have done what they needed to, and now it is up to the players to play for the pride of the country and beat India.”

Let the government decide, says Rashid

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif believes that whatever decision is taken by the government, everyone should support it because it will be made in Pakistan’s best interests.



“Let the government decide on the matter, because it is in their hands and everyone should then back their decision,” stated Latif.

With Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan iterating time and again that the final decision lies with the government rather than the board, both PCB officials and players refused to comment on the issue. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.