We are still trying to revive Pakistan tour: Muthiah

The Indian government might have said no to the Indian cricket team's tour of Pakistan and Sports Minister Uma Bharati reiterated just the other day that there would be no reconsideration on the part of the government in this regard. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India as well as the Asian Cricket Council have not yet given up hopes of the tour materialising.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Saturday, BCCI president AC Muthiah said that while the board had to abide by the decision of the government, ``in the spirit of sporting cordiality'' as he put it, ``we are requesting them to reconsider.'' He disclosed that the efforts made by former board president Raj Singh Dungarpur in this regard had the approval of the BCCI. ``While in Pakistan to attend an ICC meeting, he had discussions with officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board and found them eager to revive hopes of the Indian team making the tour. Muthiah said after coming back to Delhi, Dungarpur took the permission of the Board president to speak to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. ``So negotiations are going on with regard to the tour,'' said Muthiah.

Muthiah, who had just returned from Dubai after attending the Asian Cricket Council meeting said that the ACC officials were unanimous in their decision that the tour must take place. They reckoned that it was in the best interests of cricket in Asia that the two cricketing giants of the region should play each other. In this connection, a three member delegation comprising the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board Saber Hussein Choudhury, the president of the Sri Lankan Cricket Board Thilanga Sumathipala and the president of the Malaysian Cricket Federation Tunku Imran has sought an appointment with Jaswant Singh in a bid to see that the tour is on.

About the ICC threat to slap financial penalties and a possible suspension on India, Muthiah said it may just be a threat. ``But if they want to throw us out, what can we do? The government has taken the decision keeping national interests in mind,'' he said. Viewing things from the ICC's viewpoint however, Muthiah said the international body had chalked out a ten year programme with each of the ten Test nations playing each other on a home and away basis. ``If India-Pakistan encounters do not take place, it will seriously disturb the arrangements,'' he said, hinting that this was perhaps the reason for ICC's tough stance.

At the conclusion of the press conference, Muthiah released a statement on the Justice Chandrachud enquiry into the match fixing charges. The statement said that no fees or perquisites were paid or reimbursed to him for his job. "He was appointed on June 20, 1997 to conduct the enquiry and the report was submitted to the BCCI on Nov 17, 1997 at Mumbai" he said in a bid to set the record straight.