No indication of India vs Pakistan at World Cup being called off, says ICC CEOhttps://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/no-indication-of-india-vs-pakistan-at-world-cup-to-be-called-off-says-icc-ceo-5591745/

No indication of India vs Pakistan at World Cup being called off, says ICC CEO

ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson clarified that there "no indication" that any of the matches in the World Cup will not go ahead as planned.

India vs Pakistan Live Cricket Score, Asia Cup 2018 Live Cricket Streaming
India vs Pakistan Live Cricket Score, Asia Cup 2018 Live Cricket Streaming: India take on Pakistan. (Source: AP)

The International Cricket Council said that it does not foresee any change in the schedule of the cricket World Cup that is scheduled to start on May 30. Amid speculation around the India-Pakistan match in the tournament owing to the Pulwama terror attack, ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson clarified that there “no indication” that any of the matches will not go ahead as planned.

“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident and we will be monitoring the situation with our Members,” Richardson is quoted as saying by PTI. “There is no indication that any (of the) matches at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will not go ahead as planned,”

“Sport, in particular, cricket, has the wonderful ability to bring people together and unite communities and we will work with our Members on that basis,” he said.

On Monday, 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh said that India should refuse to play against Pakistna as an acto of solidarity with the martyred soldiers. I don’t think India should play the World Cup match against Pakistan. Country comes first and we are all standing behind our country. Cricket or hockey or sports, it should be kept aside because this is a huge thing and repeatedly our soldiers are killed,” the veteran off-spinner had said on India Today.

However, PTI reports that officials in the BCCI were doubtful that India would refuse to play Pakistan in the tournament.

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“Harbhajan had shared his point of view but he didn’t clarify what happens if we are again pitted against them in semi-final or suppose final. Does that mean that we will be forfeiting World Cup semi-final or final? So we are all talking about hypothetical situations,” a senior BCCI official is quoted as saying. “For the record, India played Pakistan in a World Cup game in England in 1999 edition when Kargil War was at its peak.”