Hours after the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) decided against taking any stand on the World Cup clash against Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) highlighting its concerns in the wake of Pulwama terror attack.
There has been a call to boycott the June 16 World Cup face-off against Pakistan at the Old Trafford in the aftermath of the terror attack, which killed more than 40 CRPF personnel.
Following is the text of the letter that the BCCI has written to the ICC:
Dear Sirs,
This communication is being addressed to voice the BCCI's concerns and sentiments that have emerged after the recent dastardly terrorist attack which was carried out on Indian soil by a terror outfit based out of Pakistan which resulted in the death of 44 Indian security personnel.
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In view of the aforesaid terrorist attack, BCCI fears for the safety and security of players and match officials participating in upcoming ICC events including the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Most countries from which the members of the ICC hail (including the United Kingdom) have strongly condemned this terrorist attack and expressed solidarity with India. BCCI urges the cricketing community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates.
The BCCI also wishes to express its concerns over the safety and security of fans of Indian cricket at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
The BCCI trusts that the ICC and ECB will ensure that the most robust security is provided to players, match officials and fans of Indian cricket for the upcoming World Cup. The BCCI reserves all its rights and entitlements in this regard.
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This communication is being issued for and on behalf of the BCCI by the Committee of Administrators for the BCCI appointed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.
Regards,
Rahul Johri.
The call to boycott the World Cup match came from some prominent names in Indian cricket such as senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and former captains Mohammed Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly.
However, offering a different view, batting great Sunil Gavaskar has stated that India should not hand over points to Pakistan by boycotting the game. He advocated continued shunning of bilateral cricket ties.
Among the current players, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Mohammed Shami have called for decisive action to deal with terror strikes carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups.
In another decision, CoA urged warring factions in Uttarakhand Cricket to come together and form a federation.
(With PTI inputs)
