India Set To Request ICC To Ban Pakistan From ICC World Cup 2019

India continue to make Pakistan pay a hefty price in all the sectors in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. According to reports now, Committee of Administrators (CoA) Chairman Vinod Rai has asked BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to write a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) asking for Pakistan be kept out of the cricket World Cup for continuing to harbour terrorists.

Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were martyred in the attack when a suicide bomber from the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district on last Thursday.

India are set to lock horns against their arch-rivals on June 16 in Manchester. However, there is now a serious chance of Indian not playing the game as a mark of protest. And in the latest development, India Today has claimed that BCCI are now considering persuading the ICC to keep Pakistan out of the World Cup. The news outlet claimed that Vinod Rai has also told Johri to state to the ICC that the mood in India is not to engage in any cricket with Pakistan.

Rahul Johri would be representing BCCI at some of the ICC meets starting February 27, with the COA possibly meeting on Friday to discuss the matter further.

Meanwhile, several big names from cricket have come forward and have echoed the popular sentiments. Recently, former India cricketer Chetan Chauhan said that India should put pressure on the ICC to “throw Pakistan out of the 2019 Cricket World Cup”.

“World Cup, Olympics is decided years ahead. We don’t play bilateral series with Pakistan. The best thing to do is to throw Pakistan out of the World Cup. Every country is worried with the growth of terrorism in Pakistan. It’s a problem for everyone. We should exert pressure on ICC to throw Pakistan out of the World Cup,” Chauhan told Aaj Tak.

“If Pakistan do not play the World Cup, it won’t make any difference. If India do not play, the ICC will suffer losses. India bring in 65 to 70 per cent of the sponsorship,” Chauhan added.

On the other hand, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has directly said India should not play Pakistan in the World Cup.

“India should not play Pakistan in the World Cup. India are powerful enough to win the World Cup without having to play Pakistan,” Harbhajan said.

India are scheduled to take on Pakistan on June 16 in their fourth group game. The bilateral ties between the two nations is already suspended. Both the teams last played a series in 2012 and have since played against each other only in ICC tournaments or the Asia Cup.