India BCCI chief rules out any cricket with Pakistan amid Uri attack

In the backdrop of the Uri terror attack, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Chief Anurag Thakur ruled out the possibility of reviving bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan in near future, saying even considering such a thought is not appropriate.

While attending the BJP National Council meet, Thakur, who is also a party MP and president of its youth wing, struck a combative note, saying India can decimate Pakistan anytime but it is more important to isolate it globally.

He added that there is no scheduled series with Pakistan this year.

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“No question of playing cricket. Today, priority is to expose Pakistan as a country which sponsors terrorism. We can’t even think of such thing (playing cricket with Pakistan),” said Thakur.

“In the context of what has happened even considering such a thought is not appropriate,” he told reporters when asked if there is any plan to play cricket with Pakistan.

The BCCI chief also said Pakistan should be pressured all over the world to an extent that they find themselves alone.

‘No relationship with Pakistan until terrorism ends’

Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan on Saturday backed Thakur’s stance on Pakistan-India cricket ties and said India does not need to play any matches with their neighbours until terrorism was curbed.

“We shouldn’t play, [we] shouldn’t even think about it,” said Chauhan — who is currently the Chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) — as quoted by media. “As long as terrorism doesn’t end, we don’t have to have any relationship [with Pakistan],” he added.

He further added: “Not just cricket ties, there’s no need to have any sports ties.”

Since, 2007-08 when India visited Pakistan, there hasn’t been a complete bilateral series comprising of Tests, ODIs and T20I matches between the two cricket giants.

Pakistan, however, visited India in a limited ODI series in 2012-13.

The tension between the rivals has escalated in the last two months after Indian security forces gunned down separatist militant Burhan Wani in Kashmir that led to widespread violence in the province.

Ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours further hit a roadblock when an attack on an Indian army base camp by alleged Pakistan-based militants on Sunday (September 18) left 18 soldiers dead.

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