Lean cricket season for terror-hit India
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AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 02, 2008 00:00
NEW DELHI - India faces a lean cricket season even if England does return for two test matches after scrapping the last two games in the limited-overs series in the wake of last week's terror attacks in Mumbai.
While Indian officials were awaiting a decision from the England and Wales Cricket Board's security assessment to see if the two tests this month will proceed, many were already concerned the subsequent series against Pakistan will not go ahead - even on neutral turf.
Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors has spiked since New Delhi blamed the attacks that killed at least 172 people in the Indian financial hub on Pakistani militants.
A Board of Control for Cricket in India official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government was unlikely to clear the national team to play three tests, five limited-overs internationals and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan starting next month.
Pakistan's foreign minister spent time in India last week hoping to allay the security fears of India's cricketers touring Pakistan. If the chances were slim before the attack, "Now even hopes of playing a series at a neutral venue in the Middle East might be dashed," a top official told the AP.
Officially, the BCCI is awaiting word from the government. Indian news reports said there was a possibility of India-Pakistan cricket links being cut in the short to medium term.
Of more concern locally is the prospect of getting the England series started as scheduled on Dec. 11 and finding a new slot for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament featuring the top provincial teams from five countries.
Champions League organizers are now exploring the possibility of scheduling the event in the period set aside for the Pakistan tour.
Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors has spiked since New Delhi blamed the attacks that killed at least 172 people in the Indian financial hub on Pakistani militants.
A Board of Control for Cricket in India official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government was unlikely to clear the national team to play three tests, five limited-overs internationals and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan starting next month.
Pakistan's foreign minister spent time in India last week hoping to allay the security fears of India's cricketers touring Pakistan. If the chances were slim before the attack, "Now even hopes of playing a series at a neutral venue in the Middle East might be dashed," a top official told the AP.
Officially, the BCCI is awaiting word from the government. Indian news reports said there was a possibility of India-Pakistan cricket links being cut in the short to medium term.
Of more concern locally is the prospect of getting the England series started as scheduled on Dec. 11 and finding a new slot for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament featuring the top provincial teams from five countries.
Champions League organizers are now exploring the possibility of scheduling the event in the period set aside for the Pakistan tour.