Decision to withdraw team taken at lower level: Minister

While an internal inquiry has been launched to probe the goof up that led to the cancellation of the tour,the decision to hold back the team from playing in Srinagar was apparently taken by the SSCB president,Vice Chief of Navy Staff,Vice Admiral SK Dewan,on the basis of a security assessment by the Military Intelligence (MI) advising that the event should not be held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium.

It transpires that the intelligence alert put out by MI,which was not corroborated by any other intelligence agency,was the main reason for cancellation of the match. The security assessment warned that there was a plan to disrupt the match and militants would enter the stadium after intermingling with spectators.

The assessment said that besides the possibility of heckling and stone throwing,there was likelihood that crackers would be burst at the stadium,followed by a full scale attack using firearms.

The assessment was passed upwards to the Directorate of Military Training by the Srinagar based 15 Corps. Sources said that SSCB then also asked the Army to make security arrangements. However,while the 15 Corps promised adequate security cover for the players accommodation and transportation to the stadium,it expressed an inability to guarantee security of the stadium itself.

Following the assessment,there was a flurry of correspondence between the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) and the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) in the days leading up the Srinagar match,requesting that the venue of the match be changed to Delhi.

However,sources said that BCCI was not willing to change the venue and a decision was finally taken to forfeit the match rather than face the embarrassment of an attack on the Services team. The political implication of the move was apparently not taken into consideration.

Chidambaram asks BCCI to reconsider request

Jammu: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed “serious displeasure” over the Services team’s decision not to play in Srinagar,and asked the BCCI to reconsider its decision not to reschedule the match. “I have expressed my serious concern over the development to Ministry of Defence. It’s not in good taste,” he said. “It is for the BCCI to reschedule the match,” he added,asking the BCCI to consider SSCB’s request for fresh dates to play the game. — ENS