da leao： The Government today hit back at the Cricket Board for threatening topull out of the World Cup and other major international tournamentsand bluntly told it not to “dictate” its policies based on nationalinterest
da pixbet： 25-Apr-2001The Government today hit back at the Cricket Board for threatening topull out of the World Cup and other major international tournamentsand bluntly told it not to “dictate” its policies based on nationalinterest.A day after the Cricket Board said it would not participate in theAsia Cup in Pakistan in December this year, the ICC Knock-Outtournament in India next year and the World Cup in South Africa in2003 till the Government clarified its policy regarding playingagainst Pakistan, Sports Minister Uma Bharti charged the Board withtaking unilateral decisions.In a hurriedly-summoned press conference, Bharti said the Government’sapproval regarding India’s participation in multi-nation series hadalready been conveyed to BCCI. “As far as clarification is concerned,the Board never approached us formally. Therefore the question ofissuing a clarification or guidelines does not arise,” the ministersaid. Dismissing the Board’s statements yesterday as mere pressuretactics, Bharti said, “Government’s policy of not playing Pakistan inthe present circumstances is a final one and India’s self-respect andprestige, which are more important than everything else, will not becompromised. If BCCI says it is not going to participate in World Cupor any other tournament it’s their headache,” she said.When her attention was drawn to the Board’s query on what it should doif India were to play Pakistan in the World Cup, Bharti said, “ourstand is clear…if such an unavoidable situation arises, India willgo ahead and play. We are only against a planned bilateral cricketseries against Pakistan.””The time is not yet ripe for resuming bilateral cricketing relationswith Pakistan,” she said, adding, “cricket is not just an ordinarygame. It is extraordinary in that it is an expression of nationalsentiment.”Expressing her surprise at BCCI taking a “decision on its own” not toplay in major tournaments, she said “the unilateral decision of BCCIis hasty, inappropriate and unfortunate”.”The government takes foreign policy decisions keeping in mindnational interests. The Board has no business to dictate policies tous,” she said. Emphasising that the government decision was acollective one, she said it “decides its policy on the basis ofnational interest and not on extraneous considerations”.On whether India’s chances of holding ICC Knockout tournament nextyear would be affected by government’s policy, she said, “I had askedICC President Malcolm Gray when he met me recently whether India’snon-participation in the tri-series in Sharjah would affect ourhosting the ICC Knockout and he replied in the negative saying it wasa bilateral matter between India and Pakistan”.The Sports Minister said the government would extend full cooperation in hosting the ICC Knockout tournament. “Whateverclarification is required, BCCI is free to approach me. My telephoneis working, my fax is working and my doors are always open,” she said.Bharti said there would be no problem about Pakistan’s participationin the November 3-11 Afro-Asian Games and her ministry had alreadycleared India’s participation in the Asian Junior VolleyballChampionship to be held in Islamabad from May 10 to 19.
