‘Thackeray’s death wont affect tour’
20 Nov 2012 5:23 AM IST
PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf is confident that the death of India’s firebrand leader Bal Thackeray will not affect their national team’s upcoming tour to India even though the late leader’s party has strongly opposed the revival of bilateral cricket ties.
‘I sent a get well message to Bal Thackeray despite his party’s stance on Indo-Pak cricket relations because I wanted him to get well and support the tour as a senior politician,’ Ashraf said.
‘The good thing is that my get well message produced some positive reaction in India and I am happy for that,’ he added.
Ashraf pointed out that he was not expecting the tour to be affected since Thackeray died a natural death. ‘In the past whenever Pakistan has played in India their government has provided us top security and looked after the team well and that gives us confidence the tour will be held without any problems,’ he said.
The government has cleared the tour although Thackeray’s party strongly opposed reviving bilateral ties with Pakistan after five years. Asked about accusations made by British writer Ed Hawkins that the 2011 World Cup semifinal was fixed, the PCB chief said, ‘Anyone can make any claims but without evidence it is useless talking about it. If Hawkins has any sort of evidence than we would be the first to hold an inquiry ourselves and than ask the ICC to also look into the accusations,’ he added.
‘I sent a get well message to Bal Thackeray despite his party’s stance on Indo-Pak cricket relations because I wanted him to get well and support the tour as a senior politician,’ Ashraf said.
‘The good thing is that my get well message produced some positive reaction in India and I am happy for that,’ he added.
Ashraf pointed out that he was not expecting the tour to be affected since Thackeray died a natural death. ‘In the past whenever Pakistan has played in India their government has provided us top security and looked after the team well and that gives us confidence the tour will be held without any problems,’ he said.
The government has cleared the tour although Thackeray’s party strongly opposed reviving bilateral ties with Pakistan after five years. Asked about accusations made by British writer Ed Hawkins that the 2011 World Cup semifinal was fixed, the PCB chief said, ‘Anyone can make any claims but without evidence it is useless talking about it. If Hawkins has any sort of evidence than we would be the first to hold an inquiry ourselves and than ask the ICC to also look into the accusations,’ he added.
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