Board chief brushes off ICC threats

Cricket Board President AC Muthiah today brushed off International Cricket Council's threat of banning India from playing if the tour to Pakistan was cancelled and said BCCI was in no mood to succumb to any pressure.

"We will not succumb to any pressure. This is a government decision and we will have to abide by it and moreover they (ICC) cannot afford to ban India. It is just a threat," Muthiah told reporters before meeting Sports Minister Uma Bharti here.

Asked about Raj Singh Dungarpur's efforts to revive the tour, Muthiah said "he (Dungarpur) is very keen that the tour should be taken up." The BCCI President said "I don't think we will be touring Pakistan and I will abide by the government's decision as it was taken in the national interest."

Earlier, Uma Bharti, when asked whether the government was reconsidering its decision on touring Pakistan, said "we took the decision not to send the Indian team to Pakistan on the basis of a report from Ministry of External Affairs." She added "There is no new report from the Ministry which makes us rethink out decision," he added.