|
|
Pakistan welcomes Hindu radicals' move over India cricket tour
AFP
21 January 1999
LAHORE, Jan 21 (AFP) - A senior Pakistani cricket official Thursday
welcomed a decision by Hindu militants to suspend their violent
campaign to disrupt Pakistan's cricket tour of India, calling it a
``timely'' move.
``It is a timely decision and I can only praise it,'' said the Pakistan
Cricket Board's Secretary Waqar Ahmed, as a 16-member national team
flew out for New Delhi for the first test series on Indian soil in 12
years.
The suspension of the hostile campaign was announced in Bombay after a
meeting between the Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani and the leader of
the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena party, Bal Thackeray.
Brigadier Saeed A.Rafi, who toured India as special envoy last week to
personally assess the security arrangements, said he had been sure
Indian authorities would ensure fool-proof security.
He said in any case Pakistani players ``are no cowards ... They are
hard core professionals and can play with confidence even in adverse
conditions.''
``The boys are keyed up to take India head-on ...,'' Rafi said.
Copyright 1998-2001 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed on
this page (dispatches, photographs, logos), with the exception of CricInfo
logos and trademarks, are protected by intellectual property rights owned
by Agence France Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce,
modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any
of the contents of this section without prior written consent of
Agence-France-Presse.
|
|
|
