MPs express regret over decision to call off Pak tour

Onkar Singh

Eduardo Falerio and five other members of Parliament have written a letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee expressing regret over the government's decision to refuse the Indian cricket team permission to tour Pakistan.

The members of Parliament who signed the letter along with Faleiro are Mirza Abdul Rashid (National Conference), S Ramachandran Pillai (CPI-M), R S Gavai (Republican Party of India), Ven'ble Dhammaviriyo (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and Abani Roy (Republican Socialist Party).

"We are dismayed at the decision of the Government of India to cancel the Pakistan tour of our national cricket team. The decision will further damage the game which is already beset with match-fixing allegations," the MPs said in their letter.

Faleiro, a former minister in the Narasimha Rao government, felt it was wrong to call off the tour on 'superficial grounds' at a time when the government is taking steps to normalise ties with Pakistan, like announcing a unilateral cease fire during the month of Ramzan, plying the Samjhuata Express between Amritsar and Lahore and allowing the Lahore-Delhi bus service to continue.

"We believe that normalisation of relations with Pakistan is in the interest of both the countries, and the decision of the government (to cancel the cricket tour) is surprising particularly since diplomatic relations as well as trade relations continue as usual. We do believe that politics should not be allowed into sports. Politics often divide people whilst sports unites," Faleiro argued.

He admitted that some people had approached him on behalf of some of the cricketers named in the CBI report to fight their case.

"Yes, I have been approached but I have told them that I would not say anything on the matter till I have studied it properly. If they have fixed the matches then they should be punished," he told rediff.com.

However, he was against only some being punished and others being let off. "All those who are involved should not be spared. Nobody should be singled out in this respect," he added.

After BCCI president A C Muthiah disclosed details of the K Madhavan report, some of the indicted players are believed to have approached ministers, pleading to bail them out.

While Ajay Jadeja's battle is allegedly being fought by Jaya Jaitley, Prabhakar, sources say, has approached Mulayam Singh Yadav for assistance.

Reliable sources even say that Mohammad Azharuddin has been pulling strings with the members of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh.

Mail Cricket Editor