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India's tour of Pakistan, which was scheduled for January and February 2009, has been called off, the Indian government has confirmed. The announcement that India will not travel came from the sports minister, MS Gill, in parliament, as relations between the neighbouring countries continues to deteriorate in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Rajiv Shukla, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said: "Due to the current political scenario and atmosphere in the country, the government has instructed us to call off the tour. The proposed tour of India to Pakistan has been called off. The BCCI president has already made it clear that we would go by the government's decision on the tour.
"Keeping the policy decision in mind, the tour stands cancelled."
The BCCI's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said: "No decision has been made on playing Pakistan at a *neutral venue. We have not planned an alternative tour as yet."
The PCB's chief operating officer, Saleem Altaf, said the cancellation of the tour would hurt financially. "If there is no India series obviously we gain nothing from our new television deal and lose out on other sources of income as well," he said. The PCB recently signed a television rights deal worth $140.5m (£90.8m) with the Dubai-based Ten Sports.
The former PCB chief executive Shahryar Khan was not surprised by the Indian government's decision.
"It is a disappointment, but it does not come as a surprise," he said. "We all hope that it can be rescheduled later. I know that the Pakistan Board is already making alternative arrangements."
The PCB later confirmed that Sri Lanka had been asked to fill the gap left by India's decision not to tour.
"Today we have sent an invitation to Sri Lanka to play three Tests, three limited-overs games and a Twenty20 international against us in Pakistan," Altaf said.
India were due to play three Tests, five one-day matches and a Twenty20 international, starting mid-January. The tour, which was already in doubt due to the security situation in Pakistan, was put in further jeopardy by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month. Before the incidents in Mumbai, the BCCI as is normally the case sent a letter to the Indian government seeking permission to travel to Pakistan for the tour. The Ministry of External Affairs had by then already refused permission for a junior hockey team to travel to Pakistan due to safety concerns.
Last week, Gill said he was against the tour going ahead. Several former India cricketers, including ex-captains Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly, had said India should not tour given the current circumstances.
Cricket: India's tour of Pakistan has been called off in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks | Sport | guardian.co.uk
Rajiv Shukla, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said: "Due to the current political scenario and atmosphere in the country, the government has instructed us to call off the tour. The proposed tour of India to Pakistan has been called off. The BCCI president has already made it clear that we would go by the government's decision on the tour.
"Keeping the policy decision in mind, the tour stands cancelled."
The BCCI's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said: "No decision has been made on playing Pakistan at a *neutral venue. We have not planned an alternative tour as yet."
The PCB's chief operating officer, Saleem Altaf, said the cancellation of the tour would hurt financially. "If there is no India series obviously we gain nothing from our new television deal and lose out on other sources of income as well," he said. The PCB recently signed a television rights deal worth $140.5m (£90.8m) with the Dubai-based Ten Sports.
The former PCB chief executive Shahryar Khan was not surprised by the Indian government's decision.
"It is a disappointment, but it does not come as a surprise," he said. "We all hope that it can be rescheduled later. I know that the Pakistan Board is already making alternative arrangements."
The PCB later confirmed that Sri Lanka had been asked to fill the gap left by India's decision not to tour.
"Today we have sent an invitation to Sri Lanka to play three Tests, three limited-overs games and a Twenty20 international against us in Pakistan," Altaf said.
India were due to play three Tests, five one-day matches and a Twenty20 international, starting mid-January. The tour, which was already in doubt due to the security situation in Pakistan, was put in further jeopardy by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month. Before the incidents in Mumbai, the BCCI as is normally the case sent a letter to the Indian government seeking permission to travel to Pakistan for the tour. The Ministry of External Affairs had by then already refused permission for a junior hockey team to travel to Pakistan due to safety concerns.
Last week, Gill said he was against the tour going ahead. Several former India cricketers, including ex-captains Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly, had said India should not tour given the current circumstances.
Cricket: India's tour of Pakistan has been called off in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks | Sport | guardian.co.uk
