Shimla: BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur expressed his concern over firing from across the border and said that ‘cricket and terrorism’ cannot co-exist.
"Peace on the borders is essential for a cricket match between India and Pakistan and no cricket match is possible under the shadow of unprovoked firing and bombardment at the border," Anurag Thakur told media persons.
"How people from both countries can enjoy a cricket match when firing and bombardment is continuing at the border?" he questioned and called for congenial and peaceful environment for playing cricket matches.
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"If peace prevails, I will myself go to Pakistan with the ball and bat," he said adding that talks are on and we (BCCI) are hopeful that things will get better.
Thakur accused Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of misinforming the people about Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and asserted that its headquarters was in Dharamsala and all the members are from the state.
He also brushed aside the allegations of Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and said that he had been wrongly briefed. "We developed a world class cricket stadium at Dharamsala at a cost of Rs 50 crore while the Congress government failed to make any progress in construction of the stadium at Katasani near Shimla during the past eight years," he alleged.
Thakur also alleged discrimination against his Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency and said that schemes and projects brought by him from the centre were not being implemented or delayed by the state government.
