The Shiv Sena on Saturday launched a full-fledged attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India for going ahead with the India-Pakistan bilateral series, saying that it was an event being conducted to honour terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his team for the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana, said that it was very sad that on Thursday, when the whole country was paying tributes to the martyrs of the serial attacks in Mumbai, the BCCI went ahead and declared the venue of the Indo-Pak bilateral series in December.
“It seems as if the 26/11 was not a blood-shed and Pakistan had sent its cricket team who made a double century by killing innocent people and 20 policemen. It looks like Sri Lanka has been chosen to award Kasab and his team with medals,” the editorial said.
“The bilateral series is not being played in Pakistan because of the terror threat, and patriots like Shiv Sainiks are not allowing the match in India. But the people in the cricket board don’t have any concerns about the innocent lives of civilians and security personnel being snuffed by the hands of the Pakistani militants,” the editorial added.
However, the Shiv Sena asserted that it was good that the ministry of external affairs had still not given green signal to the bilateral series.
“It would be better that same determination should be shown by the Centre in putting a check at the BCCI,” the editorial said.
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla had on Thursday confirmed that Sri Lanka had been decided as the neutral venue for the much-anticipated series between India and Pakistan next month.
Shukla’s comments came hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had given his nod for his country’s cricket squad to play series against India in Sri Lanka.
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had proposed Pakistan to play limited-overs series against them in India in December, which included five ODIs and two T20s.
But PCB chief Shahryar Khan had refused the proposal, saying he would not compromise on players’ safety.
India has not played a full bilateral Test series with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
According to a memorandum of understanding signed between the PCB and BCCI, both countries are scheduled to play six series between 2015 and 2023 after a clearance from the Indian government.
