ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has strongly condemned India’s politicisation of cricket as Delhi is trying to prevent foreign players from participating in the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), which is set to begin from August 6.
Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri in a tweet said, “India’s politicisation of Cricket cannot be condemned enough”.
“Depriving young Kashmiri players of the opportunity to share dressing room with big names in cricket is unfortunate and regrettable,” he added.
India’s politicisation of Cricket cannot be condemned enough. Depriving young Kashmiri players of the opportunity to share dressing room with big names in 🏏 is unfortunate and regrettable.@hershybru @kpl_20 https://t.co/uOgRuMXqln
— Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri (@Zhchaudhri) July 31, 2021
The FO spokesperson made the statement after South Africa’s former cricketer Herschelle Gibbs exposed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) attempts to disrupt the KPL 2021.
“Completely unnecessary of the @BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation and trying to prevent me playing in the @kpl_20,” he wrote in a tweet.
He further revealed that India has threatened him to allow him entry into India for any cricket related work if he takes part in KPL.
Completely unnecessary of the @BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation and trying to prevent me playing in the @kpl_20 . Also threatening me saying they won’t allow me entry into India for any cricket related work. Ludicrous 🙄
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) July 31, 2021
In a separate tweet, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said this is not the first time that the Modi government has resorted to nefarious politics.
He said that pressure on South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs not to participate in the Kashmir League is part of this old practice, adding: “we strongly condemn these measures”.
Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said the Kashmir struggle will not be disrupted by such measures but only benefit it.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/kpl-to-help-project-kashmiri-talent-to-cricketing-world-shehryar-afridi/
