Board of Control for Cricket in India-Pakistan Cricket Board Talks in Delhi After Shiv Sena Protest
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had invited Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan to discuss the fate of the December series. The talks were disrupted after Shiv Sena members protested in Mumbai today.
The talks between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board on December's bilateral series will now be held in Delhi tomorrow after Monday's meeting between the top officials of the Boards were disrupted in Mumbai due to protests by Shiv Sena members. (Rajeev Shukla Condemns Attack on BCCI Headquarters by Shiv Sainiks)
According to the International Cricket Council calendar, India and Pakistan are scheduled to play a full series comprising Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 internationals in December. It is Pakistan's turn to host India in 'neutral' UAE, but the political climate has put the much-awaited series in jeopardy. (BCCI Cancel Meeting with Shahryar Khan)
Pakistan have been desperate for the series and unofficially set an October-end deadline for the BCCI to respond. Following Sunday's working committee meeting, new BCCI president Shashank Manohar had invited PCB chairman Shahryar Khan for talks on Monday. But the Shiv Sena protest upset all plans.
The Shiv Sena attack on cricket comes hot on the heels of protest against Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's concert and the book launch of former Pakistan minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.
The BCCI has promptly moved the Mumbai talks to Delhi where big political parties, including BJP and Congress, are not against any dialogue. Former BCCI vice-president and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said the PCB officials were granted visas by the Indian government and to stop any discussion was unacceptable.
With the BCCI meeting in Mumbai disrupted, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that the meeting between the heads of the Indian and Pakistan cricket boards can also take place in Kolkata.
Hearing about incidents related to disruption of BCCI work in Mumbai. Cricket Board welcome to meet in Kolkata
- Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) October 19, 2015
"The talks have not been called off. Shashank Manohar and Shahryar Khan will speak to each other in the evening today and tomorrow. They are coming to Delhi for another round of talks," Shukla said.
"In no way, the dialogue will be stopped. BCCI has never compromised with national interests," Shukla added. The two Board chiefs apparently met 'secretly' in Mumbai far away from the protesting Sainiks and of course, the media.