Published 17:44 IST, September 29th 2019
Indian coaches of B’desh women cricket team won't travel to Pak: BCB
Indian coaches from Bangladesh's women's cricket staff will not travel to Pakistan for the international series next month amid political tensions with Pakistan
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Indian coaches from Bangladesh's women's cricket staff will not travel to Pakistan for the international series next month amid political tensions between the neighbouring nuclear rivals, the country's Cricket Board said Sunday. Tensions are heightened between India and Pakistan after New Delhi revoked the autonomy of restive Kashmir in early August, which was the country's only Muslim-majority state. The women's team are due to play Pakistan from October 26 to November 4 in three Twenty20 internationals and two one-day internationals at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The tour is still subject to security checks by Bangladesh's government before it can take place.
Indian coaches to boycott Pak tour
The governing body's chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told AFP that if it goes ahead, head coach Anju Jain, assistant coach Devika Palshikar, and trainer Kavita Pandey will not accompany the side in Pakistan. But they will travel with the Bangladesh team when they play the ACC Emerging Women's Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from October 20 to 28. Sri Lanka men's team are in Pakistan for three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals. Teams have been reluctant to visit Pakistan after 2009's deadly militant attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. The Bangladesh women's team last toured Pakistan in 2015.
"We will have another team travelling to Sri Lanka almost at the same period. We've decided to send our Indian coaching staff to Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan to avoid any travel complications," Nizamuddin said. "We have started the process. Before confirming the series we are also planning to send someone to see the security arrangement for the Sri Lanka team in their ongoing series."
Pakistan cricketers 'hurt' by Sri Lankan players backing out
The last international game to be held in Pakistan dates back to 2009 when the Sri Lankan team bus was targeted by terrorists in Lahore following which international cricket moved out of the country. "I was very hurt when these Sri Lankan players backed out of the tour because the security situation in our country has improved a lot... Our board or government would never ask anyone to play in Pakistan unless they were not sure they could provide the best security environment," star spinner Ajmal said on the GSports show on GNews channel.
"I think those Sri Lankan players or foreigners who can come for the PSL matches should also tour with their national teams. And if anyone refuses to come with their teams they should not be included in the PSL draft," Saeed agreed with Faisal's assertion."It hurts because we have had plenty of international cricket and PSL matches in Pakistan in the last two years." Iqbal also noted that it had been 10 years since terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore and it was time to move on. "I was in the Pakistan team when the attack took place but since then things have changed, many international players have come and played in Pakistan. Sri Lankan players have come and played in the PSL. So there was no reason for these 10 Sri Lankan players to back out of the tour," he said.
Updated 17:50 IST, September 29th 2019