BCCI chief rules out cricket series with Pakistan

Anurag Thakur says priority is to expose neighbours as sponsors of terrorism

KERALA: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, Anurag Thakur, on Friday ruled out resumption of Pakistan-India cricket ties in wake of militant attack in Kashmir.

Thakur, who was in Kozhikode district of southern Kerala state to attend Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Council meeting, said Pakistan has been exposed of training terrorists in their territory.

"No question of playing cricket. Today, priority is to expose Pakistan as a country which sponsors terrorism. We can't even think of such thing (playing cricket with Pakistan)," said Thakur.

The BCCI chief also said Pakistan should be pressured all over the world to an extent that they find themselves alone.

‘No relationship with Pakistan until terrorism ends’

Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan on Saturday backed Thakur's stance on Pakistan-India cricket ties and said India does not need to play any matches with their neighbours until terrorism was curbed.

"We shouldn't play, [we] shouldn't even think about it," said Chauhan — who is currently the chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) — as quoted by ANI. "As long as terrorism doesn't end, we don't have to have any relationship [with Pakistan]," he added.

He further added: "Not just cricket ties, there's no need to have any sports ties."

Since, 2007-08 when India visited Pakistan, there hasn't been a complete bilateral series comprising of Tests, ODIs and T20I matches between the two cricket giants.

Pakistan, however, visited India in a limited ODI series in 2012-13.

Tension between the rivals has escalated in the last two months, after Indian security forces gunned down separatist militant Burhan Wani in Kashmir that led to widespread violence in the province.

Ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours further hit a roadblock when an attack on an Indian army base camp by alleged Pakistan-based militants on Sunday (September 18) left 18 soldiers dead.