NEW DELHI, AUGUST 8: Uncertainty still hangs over India's participation in the Sahara Cup Series in Toronto against Pakistan with Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa asserting on Tuesday that the country cannot be hustled into taking a decision.``What with Pakistan continuing to cause the deaths of innocent people in Kashmir, any India-Pakistan series ceases to be just a sporting encounter in the minds of our people. This is a sensitive issue and we have to take the emotions too of our countrymen while taking a decision,'' the Sports Minister told PTI here.When his attention was drawn to reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had decided to go ahead with the series next month and the Indian Board had announced that the team would be selected in Bangalore on August 19, Dhindsa said ``they can do what they want. We will do only what is in our National interest. We can't be hustled into taking a decision.''On the inclusion in the team of players against whom match-fixing allegations have been made, Dhindsa said, ``it was a suggestion from us to the cricket Board to exclude them till their names are cleared.'' He did not elaborate.The Sports Minister welcomed the suggestion from senior sports administrator and Parliament member Vijay Kumar Malhotra about taking steps to perpetuate the memory of Independent India's first cricket captain Lala Amarnath, who died here on Saturday and said he would write in this regard to the cricket Board and also initiate action for suitable steps from the Government's side.Selectors meet on Aug 19MUMBAI: The National cricket selectors would meet at Bangalore on August 19 to choose the Indian team for the Sahara Cup five-match limited overs series against Pakistan to be held at Toronto from September 9-17, it was announced by Cricket Board secretary Jaywant Lele on Tuesday.``The (BCCI) President (AC Muthiah) asked me to convene a meeting to choose the team for the tournament and it has been fixed on August 19 at Bangalore in consultation with selection committee chairman Chandu Borde,'' Lele told PTI from Baroda.``Let us not talk about Government clearance (for the series) now,'' was the Board secretary's curt answer to the query on why the meeting has been convened without the Board having received clearance from the central Government.But other sources revealed that it was only a matter of time before the Board was given the go-ahead for the tour by the government. The meeting was originally fixed for August 10 but had been put off by the Board pending the green signal from the government.``We want the National selectors to have a look at the National Cricket Academy's functioning and the trainees' progress too,'' Lele added.Lele also said that the working committee meeting of the Board, the last one before next month's AGM, would be held on August 20 at Bangalore.The Code of Conduct for players, officials and umpires would be finalised at this meeting before it is sent to the Sports Minstry as has been mutually agreed upon by the Board and Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.PCB hopeful of India tourKARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board said todayit expects India to decide later this month whether to go ahead with a landmark Test tour here following violence in Kashmir.``The Indian cricket board has told us that they will have a meeting on August 19 and then they will inform us about both the Toronto series and their tour to Pakistan,'' PCB Director of Operations Yawar Saeed told AFP.``We are closely monitoring the situation.''India is scheduled to play three Tests and five one-dayers in Pakistan from December to February 2001. It will be India's first Test tour to its neighbour since 1989-90.Pakistan, however, are going ahead with their plans for Toronto. Commetning on the uncertainty prevailing in India, Said said: ``It's India's internal affair and we do not want to comment on that. We will go to Toronto as per our agreement no matter what is decided.''
