ICC World T20: Pakistani delegation not happy with security in Dharamsala

Pakistan Security Team in India

The much-anticipated ICC World T20 match between India and Pakistan may not be held in Dharamsala as the special security team from Pakistan has requested the International Cricket Council to shift the venue, citing lack of adequate security as the reason, according to a report on ESPNCricinfo.

According to the report, it has also been learnt that the special security team has handed its report to Pakistan’s federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar. After this, it was decided that the Pakistan team would not travel to India on Wednesday as scheduled.

The PCB had already written to the ICC chief executive David Richardson asking to consider an alternate venue for the high-octane clash on March 19. It is also believed that the proposed venue is either Kolkata or Mohali.

According to the report, PCB has not conveyed the message to ICC as a decision, but only as a suggestion. Another backup venue for the match could be Bengaluru as Mohali is set to host two other Pakistan games.

If recent reports are to be believed, there is a high chance that the marquee clash might happen in Kolkata. The Pakistani delegation headed by FIA director Usman Anwar, PCB security and anti-corruption head Azam Khan, and Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner in India, are believed to have remained unconvinced by the arrangements and with the security protocols.

The Confusion

PCB apprehensive about the security in India, decided to send a special team to assess the security arrangements in Dharamsala after Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh had expressed concerns over security for the India-Pakistan match in Dharamshala.

But there is a flipside to the story as well. Tournament director M V Sridhar had earlier said after a meeting with Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry M K Singla, “The match is on. The state and central governments are on board and all security arrangements have been made.”

Sridhar, however, had added that discussions with Home Ministry officials remained inconclusive and a few issues were yet to be sorted out. The plethora of questions regarding the venue of the match seem to have become a headache for both PCB and Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The Cricket fans all over the world are surely keeping their fingers crossed. and both teams will be eager to face each other too. Who would want to miss another riveting clash between Virat Kohli and Mohammad Amir.