Shiv Sena in Champs Trophy threat
Shiv Sena, a powerful right-wing Hindu political party, has threatened to disrupt this month’s ICC Champions Trophy if Pakistan play any of their matches in India.
Uddhav Thackeray, the party’s executive president, is opposed to having the Pakistan team in India following the blasts on Mumbai trains in July that killed at least 186 people, for which Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba are thought to be responsible.
“How can one allow Pakistan to play matches in our country when the Mumbai police have evidence of its involvement in the July 11 terror attack?” Thackeray, said in newspapers on Wednesday.
In 1991 Shiv Sena ruined the pitch at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium to stop an India-Pakistan match, and did the same in 1999 at Delhi‘s Ferozeshah Kotla, forcing a Test match to be rescheduled.
Pakistan, along with hosts India and eight other nations will compete in the biennial one-day tournament beginning on October 15, with the final to be held at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on November 5.
Arup Patnaik, Mumbai police joint commissioner, said that political movements would not change the way the event will be policed.
“They can make their political statements, but our stand is very clear: we’ll go by the law,” Patnaik told Reuters.
Ganguly into oblivion
Meanwhile, media in India predicted the end of former captain Sourav Ganguly’s career after he played poorly in a series of one-day trials for the Champions Trophy.
The left-handed batsman made 24 and 3 in the two matches he played in the domestic Challenger series in Chennai in a last ditch effort to make the Indian squad.
“Sourav’s name was discussed, but he will have to do well in other domestic matches to stay in contention,” said Dilip Vengsarkar, India‘s new chief selector and former Test captain.
“This effort pushes him back to a point from where comeback doors seem to be closed, forever,” newspapers said.
“The Chennai stadium has seen another momentous occasion – Sourav Ganguly walking into oblivion.”
34-year-old Ganguly was sacked as captain and dropped from the side last year after coach Greg Chappell said he was a “disrupting influence” in the team.