Anurag Thakur rules out India-Pakistan ties

Talks between the two boards cancelled

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur on Monday virtually ruled out the possibility of an early resumption of bilateral India-Pakistan cricket series even as he strongly condemned the Shiv Sena protests inside the board’s headquarters in Mumbai.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan is in India to discuss the possibilty of an Indo-Pak series in December as per an

MoU signed between the two boards, but Thakur said that first the conditions have to improve to hold talks and only then a bilateral series could be a possibility.

“First of all I condemn this attack. You can’t barge into BCCI premises and force people not to hold talks with the PCB chairman.

“I think the BCCI president is competent enough to discuss the matter with the PCB chairman but the final call is always taken after discussing with the union government.

“In a democracy you can protest, but on the streets. Raise your voice but you can’t barge into someone’s home, office, headquarters, I think that was not fair,” Thakur said on the sidelines of the selection committee meeting in the national capital.

“In terms of relations between BCCI and PCB, we had held talks five months earlier and then again. I had made it clear earlier as well that the talks can continue between the boards, but cricket will only happen when conditions will improve.

Thakur said it would be very difficult for him give a timeframe as to when cricketing ties can be restored.

“Talks will happen between the two nations and only then the boards will be able to decide. The two governments will have to start talking at one level. If you talk about the December series, it will be very difficult for me to commit till we talk with the union government”, he said.

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Monday strongly condemned the attack on the BCCI’s headquarters at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai by Shiv Sena workers protesting against the board president Shashank Manohar’s scheduled meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahryar Khan.

“Strongly condemns the attack on BCCI Office by Shiv Sena,” Shukla, a top BCCI functionary, wrote on his twitter handle.

“BCCI is a responsible body and will not do anything against national interest. Cricketing decisions should be left to BCCI.”

ICC withdraws Pakistan umpire Dar from Ind-SA series

After Shiv Sena members reportedly threatened to stop Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from officiating in the fifth India versus South Africa ODI in Mumbai on October 25, the International Cricket Council withdrew him from the remaining series. The ICC confirmed the new by issuing a media release.

“Under the present circumstances, it will be unreasonable to expect from Aleem that he will be able to perform his duties to the best of his abilities. As such, he has been withdraw and his replacement will be announced in due course,” said the release.

Aleem, a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, had officiated in the first three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and was also scheduled to umpire in the fourth and fifth ODIs in Chennai and Mumbai on 22 and 25 October, respectively.

The decision was made following an incident in Mumbai where a group of Shiv Sena workers stormed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) offices, and threatened to prevent the umpire from standing in the fifth ODI on Sunday.

The protest led to the cancellation of the much-awaited talks between BCCI president Shashank Manohar and PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan regarding the proposed bilateral series between the two countries in December.