PC wants another Services match scheduled in Srinagar

Jammu:

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the Services Board must request the BCCI to schedule another cricket match in Srinagar although the team had forfeited its fixture against the Jammu and Kashmir team in the Bakshi stadium.

With the Services pullout coming under attack, the Minister of State for Defence M M Pallamraju said the decision was taken at "lower level" and expressed readiness to send the team if the match is rescheduled.

"Whether that (forfeited match) will be possible, whether the forfeiture if final, I cannot say. But I have told the Defence Secretary if it was not not possible to play this match in Srinagar, because it is already forfeited, the Services Board must request the BCCI to schedule another match in Srinagar," Chidambaram told reporters in Jagti, about 15 km from here.

He expressed his serious displeasure over the Services team pulling out of the Ranji trophy match in Srinagar and promised to see that a cricket match takes place there. As the decision, citing security reasons, stirred up a raging political controversy, Chidambaram said had he been aware of the move, it would not not have happened.