India cancelled a tour of Pakistan by its national cricket team on Wednesday, sparking uproar among Pakistani officials and prompting the threat of a cricketing boycott.
India have not played a full test series in Pakistan since 1989 and the tour had been in doubt due to political tensions between the two countries over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
The foreign ministry said that a tour to Pakistan at a time when Islamabad had ``unleashed a hostile campaign'' against India, would be inappropriate and it was concerned over the players' safety.
``It (India) calls upon Pakistan to create a conducive climate, which would enable India to have the confidence that the security and welfare of the team would be ensured and that a tour would serve positive purposes,'' a foreign ministry statement said.
Sports Minister Uma Bharti had endorsed an External Affairs Ministry stand to scrap the tour and had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Tuesday evening, a sports official said.
India, the 1983 World Cup winners, had been due to play three tests and five one-day internationals on the tour from December to February.
SHOCK AND REGRET
In Pakistan, the decision was met with shock, regret and threats of a complaint to cricket's ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
It also prompted an offer from Bangladesh to play the Pakistanis in place of the missing Indians.
Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf accused India of politicising the sport.
``It is a regrettable stand taken by the Indians,'' he told reporters on the sidelines of a defence exhibition in the port city of Karachi.
``Cricket should be kept clean and politics should be out of cricket.''
International cricket has been badly hit in recent months by a match-fixing scandal that has ensnared many of the sport's biggest names.
There was a shocked response to the tour cancellation from the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, General Tauqir Zia.
``I have just heard it from reliable sources and I am shocked that despite the Board of Cricket in India's willingness the intended tour has now been aborted with the order of the Sports Ministry in India,'' the general said.
He warned India that Pakistan would boycott their arch-rivals -- whom they are scheduled to meet in the tri-nation event in Sharjah next April, along with Sri Lanka.
``We will now have to reconsider our cricketing relationship with India and we will make an official complaint to the ICC,'' Tauqir Zia said.
``The cancellation of the tour means that we will now not play them in Sharjah in April and also their participation will be in doubt in the next Asia Cup and Asian test championship.
``We will organise both the events whether India participates or not.''
LOSING MONEY
Over the past decade, the Indian team have travelled to Pakistan only once, for a one-day series two years ago. Pakistan broke the deadlock between the two nations when they toured India for a three-test series in 1999, after a gap of 12 years.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked the government to announce its decision on the Pakistan tour by Wednesday to give it enough time to organise the tour.
Aside from the sporting aspects, Tauqir Zia said: ``We will lose a lot of money because of the Indian Sports Ministry decision not to tour Pakistan.''
In the light of India's move, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced it had invited Pakistan to play them instead, on a home and away basis.
BCB general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq told Reuters: ``Pakistan would tour Bangladesh to play two tests and two one-dayers and then we would go to Pakistan immediately to play an equal number of tests and one-day matches.
``The itinerary will be finalised during the meeting of the Asian Cricket Conference at Sharjah on November 22.''
Bangladesh, who became the 10th country to receive test status in June, played their maiden test against India this week -- losing by nine wickets on Monday with one day to spare.
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It is obvious a team which is really world class palying Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, doesn't want to face the real teams. Pathetic to say the least. Pakistan should tell them to get lost and not play these cry babies anywhere in the world. One way to avoid a thrashing at the hands of Pakistan is to raise the bogey of Kashmir.
India have not played a full test series in Pakistan since 1989 and the tour had been in doubt due to political tensions between the two countries over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
The foreign ministry said that a tour to Pakistan at a time when Islamabad had ``unleashed a hostile campaign'' against India, would be inappropriate and it was concerned over the players' safety.
``It (India) calls upon Pakistan to create a conducive climate, which would enable India to have the confidence that the security and welfare of the team would be ensured and that a tour would serve positive purposes,'' a foreign ministry statement said.
Sports Minister Uma Bharti had endorsed an External Affairs Ministry stand to scrap the tour and had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Tuesday evening, a sports official said.
India, the 1983 World Cup winners, had been due to play three tests and five one-day internationals on the tour from December to February.
SHOCK AND REGRET
In Pakistan, the decision was met with shock, regret and threats of a complaint to cricket's ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
It also prompted an offer from Bangladesh to play the Pakistanis in place of the missing Indians.
Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf accused India of politicising the sport.
``It is a regrettable stand taken by the Indians,'' he told reporters on the sidelines of a defence exhibition in the port city of Karachi.
``Cricket should be kept clean and politics should be out of cricket.''
International cricket has been badly hit in recent months by a match-fixing scandal that has ensnared many of the sport's biggest names.
There was a shocked response to the tour cancellation from the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, General Tauqir Zia.
``I have just heard it from reliable sources and I am shocked that despite the Board of Cricket in India's willingness the intended tour has now been aborted with the order of the Sports Ministry in India,'' the general said.
He warned India that Pakistan would boycott their arch-rivals -- whom they are scheduled to meet in the tri-nation event in Sharjah next April, along with Sri Lanka.
``We will now have to reconsider our cricketing relationship with India and we will make an official complaint to the ICC,'' Tauqir Zia said.
``The cancellation of the tour means that we will now not play them in Sharjah in April and also their participation will be in doubt in the next Asia Cup and Asian test championship.
``We will organise both the events whether India participates or not.''
LOSING MONEY
Over the past decade, the Indian team have travelled to Pakistan only once, for a one-day series two years ago. Pakistan broke the deadlock between the two nations when they toured India for a three-test series in 1999, after a gap of 12 years.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked the government to announce its decision on the Pakistan tour by Wednesday to give it enough time to organise the tour.
Aside from the sporting aspects, Tauqir Zia said: ``We will lose a lot of money because of the Indian Sports Ministry decision not to tour Pakistan.''
In the light of India's move, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced it had invited Pakistan to play them instead, on a home and away basis.
BCB general secretary Syed Ashraful Huq told Reuters: ``Pakistan would tour Bangladesh to play two tests and two one-dayers and then we would go to Pakistan immediately to play an equal number of tests and one-day matches.
``The itinerary will be finalised during the meeting of the Asian Cricket Conference at Sharjah on November 22.''
Bangladesh, who became the 10th country to receive test status in June, played their maiden test against India this week -- losing by nine wickets on Monday with one day to spare.
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It is obvious a team which is really world class palying Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, doesn't want to face the real teams. Pathetic to say the least. Pakistan should tell them to get lost and not play these cry babies anywhere in the world. One way to avoid a thrashing at the hands of Pakistan is to raise the bogey of Kashmir.
and indianz get their behind kicked everytime pakistan tour india..
..i wasn't expecting this tour to go ahead..so this cancellation is not unexpected..
..
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