'Shiv Sena to decide if Pakistan can play final in Mumbai'
Shive Sena leader says party chief will decide if the Pakistan team can play in Mumbai if they make the final.
The right-wing Shiv Sena on Thursday declared that party chief Bal Thackeray will decide if Pakistan can play in Mumbai if the team makes it to the final of World Cup 2011.
According to a report published in The Hindu, party leader Manohar Joshi has said that the Shiv Sena chief will make the final decision of allowing the Pakistani team to play in Mumbai.
The statement comes after Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had said that a Pakistan-India World Cup final would be ideal.
“We’re going through a very tough situation,” said Afridi. “But I’m very happy because we’re trying to rebuild the team and keep the morale high.
“We all know how important the World Cup is for our country. The message for other teams is that no one should underestimate us.”
The final is scheduled to be held on April 2 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The stadium is also the site of the 1991 pitch defacement by Shiv Sena activists in protest of a proposed one-day series between India and Pakistan.
According to a report published in The Hindu, party leader Manohar Joshi has said that the Shiv Sena chief will make the final decision of allowing the Pakistani team to play in Mumbai.
“You all know Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s views. If the Pakistan team reaches the final (scheduled in Mumbai), whether to allow them to play, the Sena chief will decide”
The statement comes after Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had said that a Pakistan-India World Cup final would be ideal.
“We’re going through a very tough situation,” said Afridi. “But I’m very happy because we’re trying to rebuild the team and keep the morale high.
“We all know how important the World Cup is for our country. The message for other teams is that no one should underestimate us.”
The final is scheduled to be held on April 2 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The stadium is also the site of the 1991 pitch defacement by Shiv Sena activists in protest of a proposed one-day series between India and Pakistan.