India pulls out of Sahara Cup

India has pulled out of the Sahara Cup series against Pakistan, in Toronto, for the second consecutive year.

Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said on Thursday that the Indian team will not participate in the bilateral series till Pakistan stops encouraging killings of innocent people in Kashmir and elsewhere.

The five-match series was scheduled to be held in Toronto from September 9 to 17.

Following a call from ace all-rounder Kapil Dev, India had refused to play against Pakistan at Toronto last year in wake of the Kargil conflict.

To compensate for the loss in revenue to the sponsors, India and Pakistan however played a series of three matches each against the West Indies.

With the recent massacre of people in Jammu and Kashmir, doubts once again arose about India going to Toronto for the fourth edition of the five-match series.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India, assuming that government clearance was but a formality, went ahead with its preparations, and announced that the team will be selected at Bangalore on August 19, the government's stand on the issue kept hardening with no seeming thaw in the relationship with Pakistan.

The issue was settled beyond doubt on Thursday with Dhindsa's announcement.

India lost 2-3 in the inaugural year, 1996, thrashed Pakistan 4-1 in the second edition and lost the third 1-4.

See Debate: Not Toronto, Not now

Mail Cricket Editor