Cricketers want tour put off
From K.R. Wadhwaney

NEW DELHI, Jan 9 — Despite the Government's assurance of ‘full security cover to visiting players’ the chances of Pakistan visiting India for a short cricket tour from January 21 have considerably dimmed because some senior players of rival countries are ‘wary’ of playing under ‘constant threats and tension’.

A few Indian stars are reported to have already requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) "not to go ahead with the series" since there are only four months left for the seventh World Cup to commence in England.

The Indian stars, through their cricket manager Anshuman Gaekwad, are said to have decided to have a word with the BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur after he is free from the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Christchurch on Sunday and Monday (January 10 and 11).

Pakistan cricket manager Javed Miandad, who has a big say in the affairs of Pakistan team at present, has already expressed his view suggesting that the series may be postponed ‘temporarily’.

Since some senior players of both India and Pakistan do not seem to be ‘very keen’ for the short series, maybe, officials of two boards, now in Christchurch, will discuss and take on-the-spot decision instead of ‘procrastinating’ for another week or about.

There are some who seriously think that the climate is not yet conducive for the series. India hosted the series last in 1987 and visited Pakistan in 1989 when Srikanth was the skipper. The series ended in a draw. Sachin Tendulkar then made his debut. He was merely 16 plus.

Following the sordid incident of Shiv Sena activists digging up the pitch at Kotla ground on Thursday night after phoning newspaper offices, there has been a lot of uncertainty. Government agencies have held meetings and have assured of ‘complete security cover to Pakistan players’.

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jehangir Kazi and first secretary Shah M Jamal undertook inspection of the Kotla ground. Mr Kazi expressed ‘satisfaction’ at the arrangements. That was a kind of diplomatic statement. He also went on record saying that he would give his opinion to his government after he undertook similar visits of other centres. By that time it may be too late because only 11 days remain for the Pakistan team to arrive here on January 21.

Granting that the government and other sporting agencies do not succumb to pressure from a few ‘anti-social activists’, there are senior officials who feel that ‘discretion is better part of valour’. "Why expose players and make them play under tension", they said. "Is it worth spending crores of rupees in deploying security personnel at various centres to keep a few hoodlums at bay?" they asked. "For the image of the country, the government should prevail upon Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to ‘see reason’ instead of indulging in disruptive activities", they further asked.

In the meantime, the repair work at the Kotla ground has been completed. The pitch is a level. "The time is short but we will be able to provide teams a good wicket", is the assertion of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) officials, who are hoping against hope that the Test will come off, as schedule.

Crackdown on Sainiks

NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (PTI) — The police today swooped down on the official and residential premises of Shiv Sainiks across the Capital detaining eight activists even as Delhi Shiv Sena chief Jai Bhagwan Goel and other party leaders went underground to evade the preventive arrests aimed at ensuring smooth conduct of the Indo-Pak Test match here on January 28.

Police raided Sena offices across the metropolis in the past two days following digging of the cricket pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds by Shiv Sainiks on Wednesday night and detained eight persons, including the party’s New Delhi district chief Khem Bihari, under preventive measures, police sources said.

Fourteen Sainiks have been detained so far, the sources said. While four persons were arrested from the venue on Wednesday night, who have since been remanded to 15 days’ judicial custody, two others were detained yesterday, they said.

The police action follows the Centre’s directive to ensure foolproof security to the Pakistani cricket team in the wake of threats by the Shiv Sena to prevent them from playing in the country protesting "Islamabad’s proxy war against India."

Meanwhile, the Sena’s Delhi unit chief Jai Bhagwan Goel and senior office-bearers of the party have gone underground to evade arrests.

"We will disrupt the match come what may. We will not allow Pakistan to play in India so long as they keep meddling in our internal affairs," Mr Goel told PTI from his hideout.

Police Commissioner V.N. Singh said, "we have initiated action to pre-empt all possible threats."

Imran: arrest Thackeray

KARACHI, Jan 9 (AFP) — Pakistan's cricket hero-turned politician Imran Khan today lashed out at Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray and demanded his arrest for "preaching violence and vandalism for the past nine years".

"Mr Bal Thackeray should be put in jail as for the past nine years he has been above law and has slanted every law in the Constitution," Imran told AFP.

Imran, once a heartthrob of millions of cricket fans in Pakistan and India, said the Sena leader "has generated hatred for minorities in India."

His reaction follows the digging up of the pitch by Sena activists at Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi on Wednesday night to oppose the Pakistan team's forthcoming tour.