Ex-players slam BCCI for housing Pak team in stadium

Pakistan Cricket Board has remained silent on the decision by International Cricket Council to allow the organisers of the Women's World Cup in India to house the Pakistan team at a stadium instead of a hotel but former players have lashed out at the ICC and the BCCI for this development.

Former Test leg spinner Abdul Qadir said the state of affairs prevailing in the Women's World Cup was a sad commentary on the state of relations between Pakistan and India and the role of the ICC.

"I would like to see more cricketing ties between the two countries but for this Indian political parties need to keep sports away from politics. I wish our women do well in the World Cup it would mean and say a lot about the character of Pakistan cricket," he said.

Another former captain Rashid Latif said he was really disappointed to learn about this development.

"The reason given for keeping our team at the stadium instead of a five star hotel like the three other teams is security. But the point is that if the Indian Board can't guarantee security of all the participating teams in the World Cup why did not the ICC act and shift the event to some other country where the Pakistan team could also enjoy the event as other teams," Latif told PTI.

Latif said the ICC's role in the whole affair had been disappointing as had that of the BCCI.
"It is a shame that in a country like India even their government and Board can't assure safety of our players if they stay at a hotel," he added.

He lamented that how could the Pakistani women be expected to give their best in the event in the shadow of such pressure and security threats.

"If our players do well they would have excelled themselves. Because no team should be made to suffer like this in a global ICC event like the World Cup," Latif said.