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Should Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves be allowed to play in CLT20 in India?
The recent flare-up in relations between India and Pakistan following last week’s incident on the LoC, in which Pakistani troops killed five Indian soldiers, could once again impact sporting relations between the two countries.
Pakistan T20 champions Faisalabad Wolves are drawn to play in India in the Champions League T20, but so far the team’s participation has not been cleared by the Indian government.
The Champions League T20, which begins on September 17, features the top domestic T20 teams from around the world.
Should Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves be allowed to play in CLT20 in India?
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said last week that India has been approached for visas for the Pakistan players but no call has been taken yet.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has left it to the government to decide on Faisalabad Wolves' participation in the tournament, which seemed a certainty till the incident on the border heightened tensions between the two nations.
In the past too, sporting relations between the two neighbours were impacted by similar incidents. Pakistan visited India last year for a limited-overs’ series after a gap of five years. Ties between the two countries' cricket authorities were hit in 2008 after the Mumbai terror attack, in which 175 people died.
Should Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves be allowed to play in CLT20 in India?
In recent years, there have been several ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the incident will have consequences on the relationship with the neighbouring country.
In view of Pakistan supporting such acts of terror, would it be right to ban Faisalabad Wolves from participating in next month’s CLT20? Surely, it will send across a stern message to the Pakistan authorities.
Or, should sporting ties be kept out of the equation in such a scenario?
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