NEW DELHI May 3: Indian government has given “positive signals” to the request by its apex cricket board — Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — to allow the resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said on Saturday.
Mr Dalmiya told Zee News TV channel: “We are in touch with the authorities and we have got positive signals.”
Mr Dalmiya was speaking from Dubai where he was due to attend the Asian Cricket Foundation meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Lt Gen Tauqir Zia.
Mr Dalmiya said, however, that even if official permission was forthcoming the busy schedule of cricketers from both countries may not allow them to play a series until February.
He said Indian cricketers have had a hectic season and now some of them were busy with county cricket in England.
The head of India’s right wing Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena group Bal Thackeray on Saturday described the move to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan as foolhardy. Shiv Sena members have dug up cricket pitches in the past to thwart matches with Pakistan.
The BCCI had formally requested the government to resume bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan and had especially urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to use his ‘good offices’ to favourably consider the BCCI’s appeal, as playing cricket with Pakistan was a ‘major policy decision’.
The BCCI’s letter was handed over to Mr Vajpayee by board official and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Rajiv Shukla a couple of days ago and was under consideration.
The BCCI has hailed Mr Vajpayee’s ‘positive’ statement in Parliament on the issue of resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan. Board sources said the BCCI sees the statement as a ‘strong pointer’ towards a change in stance by the government, which could facilitate the participation of the two traditional rivals in the forthcoming Asia Cup.
The letter, signed by Mr Dalmiya, also said that snapping of cricketing ties has resulted ‘in a chink in the armour’ of the Asian solidarity.
“We, at BCCI, therefore look forward to your kind support to resume the bilateral tours between India and Pakistan,” the letter said. “The entire scenario has also been brought to the notice of the sports ministry by the BCCI from time to time. It is, however, felt that your kind intervention may be necessary because it is a major policy decision.”
“The BCCI fully appreciated and honoured the government’s stand in this respect. But the BCCI being a member of the world cricket parent body, the ICC, it is now in a rather embarrassing position,” the letter said.
It said the ICC decides on world champions in Test cricket not through any tournament, but through points earned in the Test series played among all the ten countries.
Each country is supposed to play four series against each other in a ten-year period. “If India does not play Pakistan, the equilibrium of world cricket will be severely affected because the World Test Championship cannot be decided. India may be totally isolated in the world cricket scenario.”
“Sir, we have always abided by the government’s policy and we would continue to do so in future. The sole purpose of our appeal is to ensure that the real winner is the glorious game of cricket,” the letter said.—Jawed Naqvi