Pakistan await govt okay to head to India for World T20

Thursday, 10 March 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: Pakistan have delayed their departure for the World Twenty20 in India while they await the go-ahead from the government, which has concerns about the team’s security, the Dawn newspaper has reported.

The Pakistan Cricket Board sent a delegation of officials to check security at the venues in neighbouring India earlier this week, with the Dharamsala venue for their March 19 clash against India of particular concern.

The delegation were scheduled to report their findings to the Pakistan interior ministry on Tuesday and the PCB had hoped the team could then depart for New Delhi on Wednesday.

“PCB has delayed national women’s and men’s cricket team from travelling to India,” PCB spokesman Amjad Hussain told the paper.

“The final decision on teams departure to India for T20 World Cup will be taken after a formal go ahead by the interior ministry.”

PCB Chairman said on Monday that there was no question of Pakistan not playing in the tournament but that other venues might need to be considered.

“I have written to (ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar) that if you want us to play somewhere else because of issues at Dharamsala we are willing to consider that,” he told reporters in Lahore.

“We have never refused to play.”

Pakistan open their tournament on 14 March against a qualifier in Kolkata before their match with India in Dharamsala five days later. They then face New Zealand on 22 March and Australia on 25 March, with both of those matches in Mohali.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since becoming separate countries in 1947, two of them over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Khan said security was the responsibility of state governments in India with the central government unwilling to direct their state counterparts on what to do.

The Chief Minister of the Himachal Pradesh state government, Virbhadra Singh, had told local media earlier this month there were concerns over whether they could provide adequate security for the Pakistan team in Dharamsala.

“Earlier, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh had said they could not guarantee security but now it seems like they would provide the security,” Khan added.

The tournament opened on Tuesday with qualifying matches before the main draw begins on 15 March. The final will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 3 April.

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