PCB threatens pulling out of World T20
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has threatened pulling out of the World Twenty20 if they did not get a clear message about the security situation from the Indian government
No Plan B - Anurag Thakur
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur is confident that the India-Pakistan match on March 19 will take place in Dharamsala. Thakur said that Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh had, on Wednesday, assured him that he would facilitate the staging of the marquee match of the tournament.
According to Thakur, Virbhadra assured him that he would speak to families of the martyrs who lost their lives fighting in the Pathankot terrorist attacks recently as well as in Jammu & Kashmir in the past. "I am very hopeful [of the match taking place]," Thakur said at a media briefing while announcing a BCCI tie-up with a sponsor in Delhi. "The meeting [with the CM yesterday] was held in a very positive atmosphere. The state government will also try and speak to those [families and few others] who have raised concerns. I am very hopeful of a positive outcome. The state government have to announce that the match is on. From the BCCI's side, the match is on," Thakur said.
Thakur pointed out that while he "condemned" the Pathankot attacks, it was not appropriate to mix politics and sport. Even though Virbhadra had sent a missive to the Indian Home Minister few days ago stating the Himachal government was not in a position to provide security for the match, Thakur said the chief minister had told him the state had an adequate safety mechanism in place. "I asked the CM that if there is a shortage of security personnel in HP, you can also take the help of the central government. But he has assured that the state has enough policemen to provide security," Thakur said.
Thakur made it clear that that the BCCI had no back-up plan or venue for the match. "There is no Plan B. It is anyway not easy to make changes at the last moment."
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. @kalson