You cannot play politics over cricket: Anurag Thakur

The India v Pakistan fixture at the World T20 2016 has been put in jeopardy. The match that was to be played at the picturesque Dharamsala may be called off due to the government stating their inability to provide security for the visiting Pakistan side. A statement released earlier by the Himachal Pradesh government stated that the fixture would hurt the sentiment of the families of the martyrs.

The BCCI at the moment is in a predicament regarding the venue details. Anurag Thakur, the secretary of the BCCI has said that a new brand of ‘politics’ is being played by the Himachal Pradesh government. The fixture between the two arch rivals will be on the 19th of March. In a letter to the home ministry, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that it would not be possible to provide security for the visiting Pakistani side.

In a stern reaction to the shocking statements, Thakur said that the planning for the event had been done months in advance and it would be difficult to change the schedule on such short notice.

“The venues of the World Cup matches were decided one year ago, the allotment of matches was decided six months ago. People all over have made bookings and it is not fair to give such statements at the last minute,” Thakur said.

“The Congress-led state government is clearly playing politics. Hundreds of Pakistani athletes were given security during the South Asian Games in Assam, why can’t the Himachal government do the same?” Thakur asked.

“By claiming that you cannot provide security, you are only giving credence to Pakistani claims that there is a security threat to their team in India. It’s about the country’s image, you cannot play politics over it,” he added.

The Kangra district is home to War heroes such as Vikram Batra and Saurabh Kalia. According to the Himachal Pradesh government, the match would hurt the sentiments of their families who reside in the district.