145;Silly point by Pak146;

8226; It will not be out of place to believe that Pakistan8217;s refusal to play cricket in Ahmedabad is not only unreasonable but prejudi...

8226; It will not be out of place to believe that Pakistan8217;s refusal to play cricket in Ahmedabad is not only unreasonable but prejudiced. By doing so, it wants to turn its abhorrence of India into world sympathy. While Pakistanis come and receive Kalinga award in Orissa, its artistes earn accolades and money in Mumbai, and its junior cricket team had played only recently in Rajkot, Pakistan still keeps worrying about its players if they play in Ahmedabad.

In fact, the real reason for Musharraf not sending the team to Ahmedabad is that if the Pakistani team played in that city without any hitch, he would be left with no provocation to abuse Gujarat as unsafe and to thus whip up anti-India sentiments in his country. The Government of India must act firmly to prove that Gujarat is not a slaughter-house.
Mumbai Samachar

8226; Sports is not about politics but sportsmanship and an opportunity to bring two people closer. In fact, an Indo-Pak match in Ahmedabad will catalyse the ongoing political dialogue. It could have been understood had Pakistan cited technical reasons for its inability to send a team to Ahmedabad but doing so on the pretext of security concerns amounts to disappointing the people of Gujarat.

At a time when the Pakistani team is coming to India after a gap of six years, its government or the Pakistan Cricket Board has no reason to deprive Ahmedabad a chance of hosting the match. Pakistan is confused about playing in Kanpur and Delhi also and therefore, it is not proper to think that it is prejudiced only against Ahmedabad. Let us hope that the Home Ministry and BCCI will convince Pakistan to play at Ahmedabad and save Gujaratis major disappointment.
Gujarat Today

8226; Cricketing relations between India and Pakistan always reflect their political relations. Intense emotions are attached with Indo-Pak cricket in both countries and the outcome has been treated as a matter of national prestige. When India had played in Pakistan amid cordial atmosphere and now it is Pakistan8217;s turn to play in India, it is in the interest of both the countries to see that the same atmosphere is maintained.

Any decision on the present tiff should be taken in the backdrop of bilateral relations without bringing in any aggression or emotion. It will be only appropriate if the governments of both the countries and their cricket boards come to a suitable decision in the overall interest of carrying forward the ongoing peace process.
Sambhav

Compiled by TANVIR SIDDIQUI