Gavaskar against Pakistan trip

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-12  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

FORMER India captain Sunil Gavaskar says it is impossible for the Indian team to tour Pakistan after the spike in political tension between the two countries following last month's Mumbai attacks.

India is scheduled to tour Pakistan in January-February to play three tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 match, but the Indian government has not yet sanctioned the mandatory security clearance.

"I think under the present circumstance, when at the highest political and diplomatic level there has been a fallout because of what has happened, I think cricket would not be an exception," Gavaskar told India's CNN-IBN channel late on Wednesday. "Cricket would be affected by all that unless the signals come from the highest political level. I don't see why cricket won't follow the suit and so at the moment it is impossible to go ahead with the tour."

New Delhi has blamed the Mumbai attacks on Pakistani militants.

Even before the terror attack on Mumbai, the Indian government refused permission for its junior national field hockey team to play a series in Pakistan due to security reasons.

If the chances were slim before the attack, Indian cricket officials say even the possibility of playing the series on a neutral venue in the Middle East might have been dashed.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt left for India yesterday for a rescue mission to save the scheduled tour.

"He will definitely discuss next month's tour of the Indian cricket team with the Indian board officials on the sidelines of Asian Cricket Council's meeting," PCB's chief operating officer Salim Altaf said.

Pakistan's coach Javed Miandad said that after the resumption of England's tour of India, he was hopeful of some positive news on the India tour in the coming days.

"I completely support England's decision to return to India to play the tests. It is a good thing for cricket which should not be affected by these attacks," Miandad said yesterday.