BCCI's warning shot to PCB: Cricket and terror cannot go hand in hand

In the wake of the Gurdaspur terror attacks on Monday, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur has imparted a warning shot at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with his comments putting the planned Indo-Pak series in jeopardy.

"Pakistan need to know that cricket can't be played if the security and peace of our nation is affected. I understand a sport is a different thing, but our internal security is important," Thakur told The Times of India.

File picture of Anurag Thakur. AFP

PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan had visited India recently to rally hard for the resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties and during a joint press statement with BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata, proposed a series comprising of three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s in December. The series is part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two boards last year and will be hosted by Pakistan in the UAE.

However, the terror attacks in Punjab might have put a cloud over the series. "Cricket and terror cannot go hand in hand." Thakur told NDTV. "Internal security of the country can't be compromised", even though sport was a different issue," he added.

Thakur also told The Times of India that the two boards and the countries need to sort some issues out between them before proceeding.

Earlier, former India captain and current India A coach Rahul Dravid had welcomed the India-Pakistan series from a purely cricketing perspective.

"From a cricketing perspective an India-Pakistan series is any day welcome. But this series is more than about cricket, looking at the security angle and political situations, and is best left to the two Boards to decide," Dravid said at a media conference of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.

Since 2007, India have not played a proper bilateral Test series with Pakistan mainly due to political reasons, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which led to suspension of cricketing ties.

The two countries played one short series of three ODIs and two T20 matches in India in December 2012 but otherwise they have met only in ICC organised events or the Asia Cup.

With inputs from PTI