ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the security delegation will submit their report to the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the board, and then the final decision will be taken whether the national team will go to India to compete in the World Twenty20.
A two-member security delegation comprising senior director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Dr Usman Anwar and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Security officer Azam Khan arrived in Amritsar (India) from Lahore on Monday to assess the situation at Dhramsala ahead of the Pakistan-India clash in that town on March 19.
APCB official said that the security team was scheduled to hold a meeting with the Indian government officials at Delhi and then will submit their report to the Interior Ministry and the board and then the final decision will be taken in this regard. The national team is scheduled to go to India on Wednesday.
“Until now they had not received any report of thesecurity team to say whether the national team will go to India or not. As soon as we get the details, we will break it in the media,” he said. According to reports available from across the border, the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 Director MV Sridhar said that the security team has assessed the security measures taken in Dharamsala and were assured by thedistrict administration that ample security would be provided to the players.
Sridhar said the PCB security team had inspected the venue and also had a discussion with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and tournament officials. “The PCB delegation visited Dharamsala on Monday and met the BCCI, the tournament organiser and local officials of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA). And also had the conversation with the district administrative officials that included District Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police,” he said.
“The outcome is that the district administration has veryclearly and categorically stated that they are committed to giving complete security, not only for India v Pakistan match, but for all the matches which are going to be held in Dharamsala.” That’s the commitment given by both sides- the administrationand the police security side. So, that has been clearly communicated to the Pakistani delegation,” Sridhar said.
Sridhar said that he was optimistic that the World T20 match between Pakistan and India would be held at the scheduled venue Dharamsala. “I am more than hopeful that the actual status on the ground has been communicated to the PCB team. And now the decision is with them. Obviously, they will also consult their own government, HighCommission, based on that they will come back to us,” he added.
