Karachi : Pakistan former captain and wicket-keeper Rasid Latif urges Pakistan to boycott Indian Premier and Cricket League. Latif appalled by the manner in which Indian media and government functionaries had tried to implicate Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks. Almost 200 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the Indian authorities raised the finger of suspicion against Pakistan, which has denied any involvement in the attacks.
“India has barely accusing Pakistan for what happened in Mumbai. What happened in Mumbai is wrong but Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. And it is so unfair the way they are trying to drag us into this incident," Latif said.
"Our players must pull out of the IPL and ICL and send a clear message to the Indians. As it is I have a feeling very soon the extremist elements in India will try to stop our sportsmen and artists from working in India," he said while talking to media on the opening ceremony of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto T20 Memorial Cricket Tournament in Karachi.
Responding to a question he said, “The way Pakistan Cricket Board reacted regarding Sialkot Stallions’s tour of India after Mumbai Attacks started, their[PCB] decision has not took in a correct manner.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board despite the horrible situation in Mumbai never blocked their Twenty20 Champions to tour India as they were planned to check in same Taj Hotel - which was one of the victim of Terrorist attacks. However later Champions League officials itself canceled the inaugural tournament as neither of any team from South Africa, Australia and England willing to tour India amid of security and safety concerns in India as the incident was itself a biggest lapse of the security agencies and local police.
Latif also urged Pakistan Cricket Board to stop perusing with the Indians to send their team to Pakistan. “If they can`t come to Pakistan then we shouldn’t also go there for any cricketing activity. The security situation is the same in Pakistan and India," he said.
”And, if England went ahead with their Tests in India later this month it would show double standards on part of western countries who refuse to tour Pakistan due to security concerns,” Latif emphasised.
It's important for a cricketer to play professional cricket but there are times when the country should come first," said Latif, who blew the whistle on the match-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket in the nineties.
A number of top Pakistan cricketers including skipper Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul are contracted to play for the IPL that is run by the Indian cricket board.
Almost 20 Pakistani cricketers Moin Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousaf, Azhar Mahmood, Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdul Razzaq, Naved Latif, Humayun Farhat, Arshad Khan, Shahid Nazir, Hasan Raza, Mohammad Sami, Imran Nazir, Riaz Afridi, Shabbir Ahmed, Tahir Mughal, Shahid Yousaf, Hafiz Khalid. are a part of the rebel ICL that is owned by Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra.
© Cricdb
http://www.cricdb.com/archive/international/news/detail.php?nid=1182
“India has barely accusing Pakistan for what happened in Mumbai. What happened in Mumbai is wrong but Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. And it is so unfair the way they are trying to drag us into this incident," Latif said.
"Our players must pull out of the IPL and ICL and send a clear message to the Indians. As it is I have a feeling very soon the extremist elements in India will try to stop our sportsmen and artists from working in India," he said while talking to media on the opening ceremony of Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto T20 Memorial Cricket Tournament in Karachi.
Responding to a question he said, “The way Pakistan Cricket Board reacted regarding Sialkot Stallions’s tour of India after Mumbai Attacks started, their[PCB] decision has not took in a correct manner.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board despite the horrible situation in Mumbai never blocked their Twenty20 Champions to tour India as they were planned to check in same Taj Hotel - which was one of the victim of Terrorist attacks. However later Champions League officials itself canceled the inaugural tournament as neither of any team from South Africa, Australia and England willing to tour India amid of security and safety concerns in India as the incident was itself a biggest lapse of the security agencies and local police.
Latif also urged Pakistan Cricket Board to stop perusing with the Indians to send their team to Pakistan. “If they can`t come to Pakistan then we shouldn’t also go there for any cricketing activity. The security situation is the same in Pakistan and India," he said.
”And, if England went ahead with their Tests in India later this month it would show double standards on part of western countries who refuse to tour Pakistan due to security concerns,” Latif emphasised.
It's important for a cricketer to play professional cricket but there are times when the country should come first," said Latif, who blew the whistle on the match-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket in the nineties.
A number of top Pakistan cricketers including skipper Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul are contracted to play for the IPL that is run by the Indian cricket board.
Almost 20 Pakistani cricketers Moin Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousaf, Azhar Mahmood, Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdul Razzaq, Naved Latif, Humayun Farhat, Arshad Khan, Shahid Nazir, Hasan Raza, Mohammad Sami, Imran Nazir, Riaz Afridi, Shabbir Ahmed, Tahir Mughal, Shahid Yousaf, Hafiz Khalid. are a part of the rebel ICL that is owned by Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra.
© Cricdb
http://www.cricdb.com/archive/international/news/detail.php?nid=1182
Comments