Bal Thackeray calls Pakistan cricket team tour a matter of 'national shame'
Thackeray also accuses BCCI of betraying country for money and cricketers of being party to it.
MUMBAI:
The invitation extended to Pakistan's cricket team by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) one day ago has been termed a matter of “national shame” by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, CNN-IBN reported Thursday.
"The Pakistan team will be playing matches at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. At one point or the other, Pak terrorists have attacked these cities," said Thackeray.
“The feet of Pakistani players won't touch Maharashtra but their tour of these cities is a matter of national shame,” he said.
He also accused the BCCI of "betraying the country for sake of money" and Indian cricketers of being part of that betrayal.
Thackeray considers it an insult to those who had lost their lives in the Mumbai 26/11 attacks.
He also criticized Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, for having "offered his services to Pakistan" and said that "except for Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, no one opposed playing cricket with Pakistan".
India’s cricket board announced earlier that it had secured government clearance to host Pakistan for a short tour later this year.
The BCCI has invited Pakistan to play three one-dayers and two Twenty20 matches in December-January, the first bilateral contests between the arch-rivals in five years.
The invitation extended to Pakistan's cricket team by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) one day ago has been termed a matter of “national shame” by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, CNN-IBN reported Thursday.
"The Pakistan team will be playing matches at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. At one point or the other, Pak terrorists have attacked these cities," said Thackeray.
“The feet of Pakistani players won't touch Maharashtra but their tour of these cities is a matter of national shame,” he said.
He also accused the BCCI of "betraying the country for sake of money" and Indian cricketers of being part of that betrayal.
Thackeray considers it an insult to those who had lost their lives in the Mumbai 26/11 attacks.
He also criticized Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, for having "offered his services to Pakistan" and said that "except for Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, no one opposed playing cricket with Pakistan".
India’s cricket board announced earlier that it had secured government clearance to host Pakistan for a short tour later this year.
The BCCI has invited Pakistan to play three one-dayers and two Twenty20 matches in December-January, the first bilateral contests between the arch-rivals in five years.