Thakur slammed for flip -flop on cricketing ties with Pak

karachi, september 24

The Pakistan cricket community has ridiculed the statement given by BCCI president Anurag Thakur recently in which he had said that there was no question of playing cricket with Pakistan.

Former Pakistan players said even when the ties between the two countries were better, India avoided playing Pakistan in a bilateral series.

Former captain Mohammad Yousuf said, “I just do not understand what he wants to say. For the last eight years India has avoided a bilateral series with Pakistan even when the relations were better.” The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) avoided any official comment but a top official said Thakur’s statement had caught them by surprise.

“It is an out-and-out political statement by the BCCI president. We have always believed in keeping sports and politics apart,” the official said. Yousuf said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should take notice of Thakur’s tirade.

“The ICC keeps on saying it will not tolerate politics or government interference in the member boards but the BCCI president is making political statements. Either he speak as a BJP leader or a BCCI head,” Yousuf said.

Former captain Rashid Latif said Thakur’s statement carries no weight. “The last time we went to India was in 2012 for a short series of ODIs and T20 matches. Since 2007, the Indian board has avoided playing with us in a bilateral series,” he noted.

Latif said PCB now at least knows where it stands as far as its relations with BCCI are concerned. Former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said Pakistan has always tried to keep politics out of cricket with India but apparently BCCI is now dominated by politicians.

“What is the value of this statement? I believe that the PCB should seriously think about playing with India in the group matches of any ICC event,” he said.

Flip-flop

Seven months ago, Thakur had aggressively batted for India vs Pakistan match at Dharamsala during the World T20. The HP government had opposed the match in view of the attack on the Air Force station in Pathankot in early January. In response, Thakur had said: “Those politicising this cricket issue have shown their own shortcomings and incapability. They are working to tarnish the image of HP and the country."