Not Possible to Ban Pakistan From International Cricket or ICC World Cup 2019, Says Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly has now said that there is not even one percent chance of Pakistan being banned.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that it is not possible for India to ask International Cricket Council (ICC) to ban Pakistan from upcoming World Cup or international cricket. Following the attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Kashmir, calls have been growing to boycott the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 match against Pakistan. In fact, some even want ICC to ban Pakistan. Pulwama Attack Fallout: Want to Make Pakistan ‘Apartheid of International Cricket’, Says CoA Chief Vinod Rai.
Interestingly, BCCI had recently written a letter to ICC stating that “most countries from which the members of the ICC hail (including the United Kingdom) have strongly condemned this terrorist attack and expressed solidarity with India. BCCI urges the cricketing community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates.”
Meanwhile, Ganguly has now said that there is not even one percent chance of Pakistan being banned. "The ICC is a separate institution, World Cup is a separate institution and I feel it is very difficult to implement this here. This is my personal view that banning Pakistan from the World Cup or international cricket won't be possible," Ganguly told IndiaTV. Pakistan Squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Here’s a Look at PAK Team’s Expected 30-Man Players List for the Mega Event in England.
"World Cup is still far away and we will see what happens then. But in my opinion, it will be very difficult for India or the Indian government to go to ICC and ask for a ban on Pakistan from the World Cup or international cricket. There's less than even one percent chance of this happening," Ganguly said.
"The government has already defined the terms as far as bilateral series between India and Pakistan is concerned. India and Pakistan don't play bilateral series... the last bilateral series was played in 2006. However, I doubt the prospects of banning Pakistan from the World Cup or international cricket. It is a big thing,” he added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2019 05:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).