ICC World T20: Pakistan team leaves for India

3
218

After getting a green signal from the government, Pakistan cricket team on Friday night flew to India via United Arab Emirates to take part in the ICC World T20 tournament.

Pakistan is due to play their opening match against a first-round qualifier in Kolkata on March 16.

Earlier today, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan approved Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, following the security assurance given by the relevant quarters in India and the ICC.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters in Lahore that the players were given the pullout option if they felt any security threat but all 15 squad members wanted to play in the tournament.

“We want cricketing ties to remain active … Our hope is that our cricketing relations [between India and Pakistan] remain intact,” Khan said.

Najam Sethi, chairman of the cricket board’s executive committee had revealed that the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit had met Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs of India, to discuss the matter and was satisfied with the security arrangements put in place.

“Subsequently, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has also approved Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup,” Sethi said.

“The team is completely ready and hopefully they will fly to Dubai tonight and then from there will leave straight for India,” he added.

The breakthrough came after the West Bengal state government issued a “public guarantee” of security to Shahid Afridi’s side for their match in Kolkata.

Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, assured in writing ‘foolproof security’ to the Pakistan team for its match against India.

Cricket Association of Bengal, headquartered in Kolkata, capital city of West Bengal state, operates the Eden Gardens.

3 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.