Sports

Determined for Pakistan, India to not play in Kolkata: ATFI

President Viresh Shandilya says they will dig-up the Eden Gardens pitch to stop the match

Sports Desk March 12, 2016

PHOTO: AFP

The Anti-Terrorist Front of India (ATFI) has written to the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, to not allow any kind of arrangements for the Pakistan team during the World T20.

Earlier, the ATFI threatened to dig up the pitch of the Eden Gardens and on Saturday their national president Viresh Shandilya has reiterated the claim saying that they are determined to stop Pakistan from playing against India on March 19.

Pakistan green-lights World T20 appearance

"Hosting the Pakistanis is an insult to all brave soldiers who died in attacks,” said Shandilya. “We have written to the [West Bengal] chief minister urging her not to allow any kind of arrangements including security for the match.”

The ATFI president further said that they will launch agitations across Kolkata: the protests will be carried out at the Eden Gardens, the team hotels and the airport from March 14 onwards.

Security concerns: Pakistan-India T20 tie shifted to Kolkata

"We are determined to prevent this match from happening and for that we are ready to dig up the Eden [Gardens] pitch,” he added. “We are also seeking the intervention of the Union Home Ministry so that Pakistan team is not allowed to enter India."

The marquee match between Pakistan and India was shifted from Dharamsala to Kolkata after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared its security concerns with the International Cricket Council.

The PCB then demanded a written security assurance from Indian government before sending the team for participation in the World T20.

Batsmen must play responsibly in World T20: Afridi

After receiving the written assurance from Mamata, Pakistan government gave the teams the go-ahead to travel to India. Pakistan men’s and women’s teams will reach India today and Shahid Afridi and co will face the qualifying team from Group A of the Qualifiers on March 16. Before that, they will take on Sri Lanka in a warm-up game on Monday.

Viresh Shandilya was quoted by Press Trust of India

COMMENTS (17)

Tyggar | 8 years ago | Reply @Dura: I think a huge wall should be built over line of control to isolate India Ironically all Pakistan's neighbours are building walls or fences lol!

Dura | 8 years ago | Reply Indians are genetically short sighted and short minded. That's why the Muslims ruled over them for more than thousand years and never allowed them to come into power. I think a huge wall should be built over line of control to isolate India from the Western world or wait for another mughal empire to come

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Naresh | 8 years ago | Reply @Malik:* Let’s not mix politics in the game.* . So there is one Rule for Pakistan and another for India! You must remember that Pakistan Boycotted the Moscow Olympics on a Political Issue. Please check on Google and then amend your Post. Many Thanks Happy Googling!

vijay ramesh | 8 years ago | Reply Viresh Shandilya and his men in the ATFI should join the military or go and fight along with the soldiers' on the border and not show their valor and nationalism by digging Cricket pitches. India definitely doesn't need such 'paper soldier's' to show their sense of nationality by blackmailing BCCI.

Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply @Rupesh: Yeah just like your JNU student's protest .

Truth | 8 years ago | Reply “Hosting the Pakistanis is an insult to all brave soldiers who died in attacks,” said Shandilya" So if that be the case then Americans should not play Germans, Japan should not host America, Vietnam should not allow Americans, French should not play British and Pakistan as well in future should cut all ties with Indians????

Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Stop calling them anti-terrorist front, they are terrorist front.

adeel | 8 years ago | Reply @Rupesh: brother we know how democratic you are and how much you believe in freedom of speech, even the animals like cows, monkeys and elephant have more rights than Muslims in India.....

TAK | 8 years ago | Reply @Rupesh: "Please don't act like a Jack Ass"

Raj - USA | 8 years ago | Reply Mamata Banerjee should start to arrest all these protestors. They may call them Anti-Terrorist Front of India and may be against terrorists but they cannot act this way and particularly when the government has given assurance, they should cooperate or keep away. Mamata Banerjee should act tough and ruthlessly.

Malik | 8 years ago | Reply Let's not mix politics in the game. And if india is really insisting that way, they must know that it is not their soldiers only who die. If they accuse Pakistan for what happens in their country, we have more than accusations. We have proofs that India is causing major unrest in Pakistan. If we are willing to forgive, they should grab this opportunity. If we Pakistanis are keeping out anger at a tight leash, they must know that unleashing it would hurt us but they will be destroyed.

Rupesh | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistanis present here must know that India is a democratic country and everybody has freedom of speech and right to protest unlike Pakistan.

Srinivasulu Mekala | 8 years ago | Reply Why should it require Einstein's brain to understand that Indian People do not want any kind of contact with Pakistan. There will never be peace between our countries. Do what you ought to, keeping the above two truths in mind.

Sanity Prevails. | 8 years ago | Reply Is this game between Punjab and India or Pakistan and India?

G. Din | 8 years ago | Reply Are you helping the cause of Indo-Pak peace or cricket by being obstinate? What will it take to convince Pakistanis that they are not welcome in India? Better to rein in your non-state actors.

ABC | 8 years ago | Reply Real face of India. Show it to the whole world

Disgusting | 8 years ago | Reply I don't trust these Bharatis. They just want to put the Team under pressure. Our PM's love for Modi appears to be one way.

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