New Delhi: BCCI committee of administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai said Sunday the sporting community ‘needs to ostracise Pakistan’ for fomenting terror activities just like South African was banned from international cricket due to the country’s policy on apartheid. The BCCI has already written a letter to the ICC urging ‘all nations to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates’.
Former cricketers as well as sportspersons of other disciplines have also urged India to boycott the World Cup cricket match against Pakistan to be played at the Old Trafford in Manchester, June 16.
But the former CAG wants to look at the bigger picture rather than just one match as there is a possibility that India may have to play them again in the semifinal or final.
“We would be shooting in the foot if we don’t play Pakistan in the World Cup. Our aim should be to ostracise Pakistan as a cricketing nation,” Rai told this agency. “As I have said earlier, all cricketing nations should sever ties with them,”
He cited the example of South Africa, who were banned for 21 years from 1970 till 1991 due to apartheid when black South Africans were racially discriminated.
“I believe something similar needs to be done with Pakistan. They should be banned from all sporting activities just like it happened with South Africa,” Rai asserted.
The CoA chief also said that the matter will be officially tabled at the ICC chief executives meet during the quarterly conference in Dubai even though initially it was not a part of the agenda. “The Indian board will express its concern,” Rai informed.
When asked whether a consensus can be built in order to isolate Pakistan in the sporting world, the veteran bureaucrat said that it can only be done at the political level. “It is done at the government level where you talk to other nations in order to build consensus,” Rai pointed out.
PTI
