ICC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Border tension forces India to forfeit cricket matches against Pakistan

India Women's World T20 Cricket India Pakistan [File] ICC panel has ruled that the India Women’s team is deemed to have forfeited each of the three matches it was due to play against Pakistan | AP

The ongoing tensions  at the Line of Control between India and Pakistan has resulted in the Indian women's cricket team forfeiting three matches against arch rivals Pakistan in round six of the ICC Women's Championship—Qualifier for the ICC Women's World Cup to be played in June 2017. The International Cricket Council ruled that the points from these matches would be awarded to Pakistan. The BCCI has accepted the verdict citing “no-response” from the government after seeking its permission to host the matches. 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ICC said, “Following consideration of written submissions from both the PCB and the BCCI, the ICC Technical Committee has ruled that the India Women’s team is deemed to have forfeited each of the three matches it was due to play against Pakistan and that the associated points should be awarded to Pakistan.” 

The matches, due to be played between August 1 and October 31, 2016, were not formally scheduled and did not ultimately take place. According to the ICC, “Technical Committee has ruled that Pakistan will be awarded two points for each of the three games and, in accordance with the ICC Women’s Championship playing conditions, India shall be considered to have scored 0 runs in each of the 50 overs in each of the three matches and that its net run rate shall be adjusted accordingly.” 

While acknowledging the tense relations between the two neighbours, the ICC said that the BCCI had not been able to establish ‘acceptable reasons’ for not participating in this series.

A top BCCI official in the know said, “We had written to the government months back and kept waiting for a response which never came. It's a bilateral series, we needed the permission.” The option of playing at a neutral venue was never there as BCCI has steadfastly refused to play Pakistan men's team as a matter of policy. However, the women's series was not purely a bilateral ODI series  as points from it would have been crucial for India's qualification for the ICC World Cup. But, the ministry of sports and ministry of external affairs have to issue clearances for any event involving Pakistan. 

BCCI officials, caught unawares by this decision, blamed at the previling acrimonious  relationship between ICC chairman Shashank Manohar and present BCCI office bearers and postured tht it would file a protest in the ICC over the decision to penlise Indian team. However as per the ICC sources, the BCCI never gave valid reason for not prticipting in the series. "This was not a bilateral series but a part of the ICC Women's Championship. Had BCCI communicted officially the government had declined permission to host the series and points would have been aplit between the two countries." 

Split points would give India, currently ranked fifth in the world rnkings a better NRR and a direct qualification to the World Cup. "The ICC would not have scheduled the India-Pakistan matches had BCCI not confirmed it in first place," said the official. 

It is not as if India is not playing Pakistan in women's cricket event.  The sixth Women's Asia Cup is scheduled to start  in Thailand with India meting Pakistan on November 29. 

India have not played Pakistan in a bilateral series in cricket for a decade now. However, the two have been meeting in various ICC events—the last one being the ICC World Twenty20 Championships held in India in March  2016.  The men's team is set to play against the arch rivals in the ICC Champions trophy to be held in June 2017 in England. It is a sell out match. 

India has not been barred from playing against Pakistan in any prestigious international event by the Union government. However, in the recently concluded Kabaddi World Cup held in Ahmedabad last month,  Pakistan was removed from the list of 12 invited teams by the International Kabaddi Federation due to heightened tensions at the border. Pakistan had protested that move. India is all set to host the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup in Lucknow next month in which Pakistan is set to participate.   

This decision makes Indian women's qualification for the World Cup even more tougher than before.  India, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will join Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Thailand in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier, to be played in Sri Lanka from 7-21 February 2017, where the top four placed teams will progress to the Women’s World Cup. The teams that have automatically qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup, to be played in England from June 26, 2017 to July 23, 2017 are Australia, England, New Zealand and the West Indies.

The ICC Technical Committee comprises of Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager—cricket, Andy Hobbs, ICC acting head of global development and Iain Higgins, ICC chief operating officer and general counsel.

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Topics : #Team India | #cricket

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