26 February 2004	Thursday	05 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 25: The Indian cricket board has informed its Pakistan countepart that it reserves the right to call-off forthcoming tour if there was any incident of stone or bottle throwing.

In a communication to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) further said it would not pay any compensation - as per the ICC rules - if the tour was abandoned because of security reasons.

"The BCCI has been very candid in telling the top PCB officials that if there was any incident of stone throwing that may put the security of players at risk, it would immediately call-off the tour," a PCB official said on condition of anonymity.

"The BCCI has further told the PCB officials that if the tour was called off, the PCB will not go to ICC Disputes Resolution Committee for compensation. The BCCI has argued that it was sending its team on the home government's assurance and therefore, the onus of providing security equivalent to any head of the state lies on the shoulders of the PCB or the Pakistan government," he added.

The PCB official, however, refused to comment on the information, but admitted that there have been discussions between the two boards on security. "Security has been on the top of the agenda at every board or government level meeting," he said.

A PCB spokesman, however, said: "The ICC regulations are pretty much clear that if there was any incident of stone or bottle throwing, that particular venue will be immediately banned. All the member countries have signed that agreement."

The PCB has received stringent security directives from the secretariats of both the President and the Prime Minister and the cricket board is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring smooth organization of the series.

"The government agencies are deeply involved in the organization of these matches. So far we have not received any instructions on additional security of any Indian player.

But if a request came, the PCB and the Pakistan government would certainly accommodate it," the PCB spokesman said, adding: "Master security plans have been prepared by the government and that includes security in the enclosures as well. But it's something that we would not like to discuss because of confidentiality and security reasons."

The BCCI has already confirmed that it would send three security officials with the cricket squad who will coordinate security with the local officials. It may be recalled that last year, three security officials also accompanied the South African cricket team.

When India last toured Pakistan in 1997 for three One-day Internationals, the opening match at the National Stadium in Karachi was curtailed to 47 overs because of a stone throwing incident. India won that game in the last over.

In May 2002, New Zealand aborted their tour to Pakistan when a bomb exploded just outside their Karachi hotel on the morning of the second Test, killing 14 people.