Keep cricket away from politics: PCB writes to BCCI in hope of resuming cricketing ties

Despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ruling out the resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan in the wake of terror attacks, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have written a letter seeking confirmation for the bilateral December series between the two countries. “Politics is vulnerable to highs and lows and the sport of cricket should be kept away from it. Cricket is a tool to formulate peace between the countries,” PCB chairman Shahryar Khan was quoted as writing in the letter by  The Express Tribune. [caption id=“attachment_1524263” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture from a match between India and Pakistan. Getty Images[/caption] The report says that Shahryar also stated in the letter that “Anurag Thakur, secretary BCCI, should make the series possible in December.” “Earlier also there was no such decision that the series will take place. Only the PCB has reached out to the BCCI. We were talking on those lines but when you see such attack on India time and again, the Jammu region, now the Punjab, where Indians are losing their lives, as an Indian I don’t see a possibility to that,” Thakur had said in July. Apart from the political tensions between the two countries, another deterren is the broadcast rights issue. The BCCI has a contract with STAR and the PCB with TEN Sports. “We have given the broadcasting rights to Ten Sports and International Cricket Council (ICC) accepts the channel’s bid,” Khan said. He also said that Pakistan will not play a ‘home’ series in India. Thakur, who is also Hamirpur MP, had made his stand on the series pretty clear earlier. “I condemn the terrorist attacks, specially in the Gurdaspur region. If you talk about cricket with Pakistan, we must understand that life of every Indian is very important to us. As I see my responsibility as BCCI secretary, as a Parliamentarian, life of every Indian is very important to me. It’s not only about cricket, it’s about my country,” he had said.