Published: Nov 01, 2012, 05:46 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 01, 2012, 05:46 PM (IST)
Shiv Sena workers had vandalised Ferozshah Kotla pitch in 1999 to protest the conduct of India-Pak match on Indian soil © Getty Images
Mumbai: Nov 1, 2012
Indian political party Shiv Sena has strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to invite Pakistan for a limited-over series starting December 25 next month.
Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray said through the party’s newspaper Saamna that it was a matter of national shame that the Pakistan team would be playing matches at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. All those cities have been victims of Pakistan terrorists attacks, he said.
According to a report in IBN Live, Thackeray also slammed Indian government and home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for giving the green signal to the bilateral series.
The Home Ministry had earlier given the go-ahead green signal for the limited-over series, starting December 25.
The leader said it was sad that apart from Indian legends Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, no one opposed the series.
He was particularly critical of the BCCI, who he feels is betraying the nation for financial gains and even the Indian cricketers could not escape his criticism for being a part of the series.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) too recently voiced their opposition to the series. MNS chief Raj Thackeray had earlier declared that the party would not allow any India-Pakistan match to be held on Maharashtra’s soil.
Shiv Sena, notorious for its opposition to India-Pakistan matches in the country has vehemently opposed cricket ties with Pakistan after the terror attacks on Mumbai in 2008.
In 1991, the party workers had dug up the pitch at Wankhede stadium and vandalised Ferozshah Kotla in 1999 to protest the conduct of India-Pak match on Indian soil.
India is set to play Pakistan in three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches from December 25 to January 7.
