Should India Give Up Ahmedabad?

Pakistan first cited "political reasons" in asking for a changefrom Ahmedabad as a venue for the second Test match in the forthcoming tour andthen in a volte face said that it was for security reasons that they were askingfor a change. Presumably there weren't other issues for the polls in Jharkhandwhich is perhaps why Mr Narendra Modi decided to challenge "Mian Musharraf"once again and made it into an election speech. The BCCI has already taken thematter to the MEA, though BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla has conveyed that heis hopeful that Pakistan would play in Ahmedabad. Whatdo you think the Indian approach be as the hosts, particularly after thewarm reception given to the Indian cricket team in Pakistan?

The story so far:

Feb 8: Rajiv Shukla (BCCI Vice-President, Congress): We have heldpositive talks (with PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan and National Security AdvisorTariq Aziz). I am hopeful that Pakistan will play at Ahmedabad. I have beenadvised (by former Pakistan Prime Minister Shujat Hussain) to take up the issuewith President Pervez Musharraf, who happens to be the Patron-in-Chief of thePakistan Cricket Board. 

Feb 8: S K Nair (BCCI Secretary): "We are discussing the issue withPCB offficials, we have to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone. Wewill be flexible. The BCCI will try to "accommodate" the concerns ofthe visiting team while finalising the itinerary for the three Tests and fiveone-dayers that the two teams are scheduled to play. We have to keep our optionsopen to thrash out the issue at the earliest. Pakistan have objected toAhmedabad due to security reasons but we have no alternative venue in mind yet.I am confident that the stalemate will be resolved amicably. I am sure it willbe sorted out soon and we will be in a position to draw up the fixtures at theBoard's Working Committee meeting in Delhi on Feb 17.

Feb 8: Digvijay Singh (former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Congress):What has cricket to do in the elections to Jharkhand Assembly? There is norelation between cricket and polls. The manner in which Modi raised the issuedemonstrated his communal thought. Even India did not play a match in Karachi onsecurity reasons but the issue (on Ahmedabad as venue) is still to be decided.

Feb 7: Narendra Modi (CM, Gujarat, at a BJP election rally in Jharkhand):Pakistan's refusal to play a cricket Test against India in Ahmedabad not onlyamounts to an insult to the state but also to the nation. I will like to knowwhy Delhi is silent on Pakistan's objection to play in Ahmedabad. Insult toGujarat amounts to insult to the nation.

Islamabad should show sportsmanship and accept the challenge to play in Gujarat.Why did Pakistan not have any problem when around 250 delegates from thatcountry attended a Lions Club-sponsored convention in Ahmedabad followed by aPakistani sports team participating in a special Olympics a month ago?

I think Pakistan wanted an excuse as it is scared of a defeat. The UPAgovernment would be responsible if it yielded to Pakistan's demand for change invenue. Instead of expressing reservation to play in Gujarat, Pakistan shouldstop perpetrating violence in Kashmir.

[Civilised paraphrase as provided by PTI, though Mr Modi was back to hisfamiliar hobby horse of challenging "Mian Musharraf" and Delhi'sCongress government and PM] 

Feb 7: Girija Vyas (Congress spokesperson): Though the city (Ahmedabad)had witnessed communal violence that had been meticulously planned by apolitical party, the new (ruling Congress) government (at the Centre) is tryingto get over that image. We have been trying to project the secular character ofour nation and people. It is very unfortunate. Pakistan should know that themajority of the people here never supported those elements (that fanned communaltension).

Feb 7: Raj Singh Dungarpur (ex-BCCI President): There must be"political pressure" on Pakistan Cricket Board for not wanting to playin Ahmedabad and India should consider its request for a change in venue. Ifthey are uncomfortable in playing in Ahmedabad, there must be some politicalpressure. I don't know why such a hue and cry is being made over the matter.There is no dearth of grounds in India and the match can be played anywhere.

India had reservations over playing in Peshawar and Karachi during last year'shigh profile tour of Pakistan, but the PCB did not make an issue out of it. Wecited security problems and asked for a change in Peshawar as a Test match venueand they accepted our proposal without any hesitation. So now when they arerequesting a change, we should take it into consideration. After all we all knowwhat happened in Ahmedabad.

Feb 7: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP Vice President): The government shouldmake it clear to Pakistan that the venues for matches were a prerogative of thehost country. Pakistan is playing political games and is not showing sportsmanspirit. Pakistan's objection to play in Ahmedabad shows that they are notinterested in playing cricket but the games of terrorism. If they do not wantAhmedabad as a venue they should play nowhere in the country. India played inone of the most insecure places, Karachi, and there is no reason whyPakistan should not play in Ahmedabad.

Feb 7: Jaya Jaitly.(JD-U leader): If communal violence is the reason forPakistan refusing to play at Ahmedabad (they should remember there have been)communal riots in different parts of the country since Independence. They shouldrefuse to play in Mumbai also, if that's the case.  

Feb 7: Pakistan Cricket Board (official statement): With reference tospeculative reports regarding the choice of venues for Pakistan's forthcomingtour of India, the PCB hereby clarifies that after receiving the report of thesecurity team that recently visited India, the PCB has requested BCCI to changethe venue of the second Test from Ahmedabad to any other venue of Test status inIndia on grounds of security.

In making the request, PCB wished to preserve and strengthen the bilateralrelations that have been enhanced at the public and government levels after theresumption of cricketing series between the two countries," it added.

PCB contradicts reports suggesting any motive other than security in making thisrequest, the statement said.

PCB has all along maintained that the venues issue should be amicably resolvedbetween the two Boards and that it was the privilege of the host country toselect centres for the matches.

Feb 7: S. Ramachandra Pillai (CPI-M): It is condemnable, especially whenwe are trying to introduce more confidence building measures to improvebilateral ties.

Feb 7: Narahari Amin (President, Gujarat Cricket Academy, also a Congressmember): I will raise this issue in the next BCCI meeting on February 16. Ourmessage (to PCB) is clear -- either play in Ahmedabad or call off the entireseries. GCA is yet to get an official intimation about the Pakistan CricketBoard rejecting Ahmedabad as a Test or one-day venue for the much-awaited seriesbetween the arch rivals. What kind of political reasons are they citing. If itis the post-Godhra communal riots that he (Shaharyar) is indicating, then Iwould like to know as to after how many years will they pardon Gujarat?

[He was asked if the Pakistan government could have a 'personal score' to settlewith Gujarat as Chief Minister Narendra Modi had often criticised General PervezMusharraf during his election campaigns, to which he replied]: Yes, Modi couldbe the reason behind their decision as there does not seem to be another reason.The GCA, however, will continue with its preparations for the series till it gotan official word from the BCCI. 

[The GCA, along with senior police officers had shown all facilities at theSardar Patel ground at Motera and all related arrangements for the players toZakhir Khan and Sohail Khan, the two-member security assessment team of PCB, onJanuary 29.]

Feb 6: Shaharyar Khan (PCB Chairman, telephone interview to PTI): Yes, wehave expressed our inability and our reservations are based on political reasons.

Since our objections are politically based, we thought it better tocompletely ignore the centre instead of agreeing to play a shorter version ofthe game there," the 70-year-old former diplomat said.

India had security concerns and not political concerns about Peshawar andKarachi. Therefore, it was mutually agreed that limited overs internationalscould be played at these centres. We have written the letter (to BCCI informingthem of the above) on the basis of a report given by the security assessmentteam that recently visited India and on the advice of the Foreign Ministry,which is believed to have expressed apprehensions over the law and ordersituation in Gujarat. So far BCCI has not proposed any alternate venue, but if Chennai was offered, PCB would have no objections.

(Agency inputs)