Pakistan mulling boycott of World T20 in India

Pakistan are undecided whether they should boycott next year's World Twenty20 in India after talks for the proposed full series between the two countries in UAE broke down.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan was due to meet Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar on Monday but the meeting was cancelled after far-right activists stormed the Mumbai office in protest at the dialogue.

Khan said his hopes of talks being rescheduled on Tuesday in the Indian capital were dashed after he failed to hear from the BCCI bosses.

It has been suggested in some quarters that Pakistan should boycott the World Twenty20 event if India does not agree to play a full series scheduled to take place in the UAE in December-January.

“At the moment, the chances of Pakistan-India series are very bleak but we have not yet closed the doors. If we don’t hear anything positive from the BCCI then we will consider it a ‘No’ from them and the MOU signed between the two countries for holding Pakistan-India series will be null and void,” said Shaharyar while speaking at the press briefing in Lahore on Wednesday evening at Gaddafi Stadium after returning from India.

The PCB chairman has given a 10-day time period to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the revival of Pakistan-India bilateral cricket series

“If the BCCI does not answer us on revival of Pakistan-India series in 10 days time, it will be presumed that they don’t want to play Pakistan and after that we will decide our team’s participation in the T20 World Cup,” he said.

The 81-year-old former diplomat said it was unfortunate that India's government and its cricket board had been hijacked by a 'very small group'.

“I went to India upon the invitation of BCCI chief Shashank Manohar. But I was surprised at the indifferent attitude shown by the Indian officials. I would say they were not very good hosts and did not have the courtesy to reschedule the meeting after the first one was cancelled because of the protests,” Khan told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The Shiv Sena demonstrators stormed the Mumbai office in protest at the dialogue and demanded there be no sporting contact between India and Pakistan.

“The Indian government and its board have been hijacked by a very small minority but the majority want a series with Pakistan. But we will not run after India board,” he added.

Pakistan's participation in the World T20 may hinge directly on the fate of the bilateral series against India.

Khan said the security situation in India, which forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withdraw Aleem Dar from the India-South Africa series, was a cause for great concern and that Pakistan government would now assess things before clearing the team's path to the World T20.

“As far as the World T20 is concerned, we will take a final decision on Pakistan’s participation after the BCCI gives us a clear answer on the bilateral series. The Pakistan government will also assess the security situation in India before we decide our future course of action,” he added.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also had to withdraw Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from the ongoing one-day series between India and South Africa as a precaution.

And former stars Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, who were commentating on the series, were due to return home on Friday as a safety measure.

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) said under the circumstances it would not participate in the Asia Cup for the Blind, due to be held in Kochi from January 17-24 next year.

On Monday, ICC president Zaheer Abbas described the situation as “complex” and said he feared for Pakistan's participation in the World T20.

Abbas told television channels in Pakistan the two nations were due to play the first match in the World Twenty20 competition in India next March but the current scenario could disrupt the tournament.

“If there is so much fire in India and people are so against the series with Pakistan, then it will create difficulties for the World Twenty20,” the former Pakistani batsman said.

Pakistani players, he said, might refuse to tour India because their lives could “be at risk”.