PCB may sever India ties

PCB and its players may be insisting they have no qualms playing in India despite the growing tensions.
But pressure is building up on the Board to change its soft stance on cricketing ties with the neighbours.
There has been a huge public response to the suggestion by former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif that Pakistani players must boycott the IPL and ICL events to protest the Indian allegations of use of Pakistan territory in the Mumbai attacks.
PCB sources admitted there was now a feeling that if India refuse to tour Pakistan early next year, the Board should rethink its strategy of allowing players to play in India.
"There is a pressure group building up in the cricket circles with the support of some fundamentalist political parties who believe there is no need for the Pakistan Board to insist on having cricket ties with India after the way the Indian media and authorities have blamed Pakistan for the Mumbai attacks," one well placed source told PTI.
"There is pressure that if the Indian government does not send its national team to Pakistan because of the Mumbai attacks then Pakistan should also not allow the Sialkot stallions or other players to play in the Indian Premier League," the source said.
The source said since the Board does not recognise the unofficial Indian cricket League, it had no say in that matter but the source said unofficially they could pressurise the players not to go to India to participate. "The growing feeling is that Pakistan need to adopt a aggressive posture since Indian media is highlighting the fact that some of the Indian players also do not want to play in Pakistan in the existing scenario," the source said.
He said already the Board officials had been conveyed by some parties that they should stop their players from giving out statements about wanting to play in India and about insisting on India touring Pakistan.
"The basis of this growing pressure is that India is now facing the same security issues that Pakistan has faced for a while now and also that some cricket boards are not happy with the arrogance of some Indian Board officials," he said.The source said Pakistan also needed to make it clear to other countries that if they could still go and play in India then there was no reason for them not to tour Pakistan.