Gray meets Bharti

Onkar Singh

International Cricket Council president Malcom Gray, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday night, met Sports Minister Uma Bharti in her chamber at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Wednesday morning and had a wide-ranging discussion with her on various aspects of the game.

Speaking to newsmen later, Gray said his half-hour meeting with Ms Bharti was fruitful and he is looking forward to meeting Union Finance minister Yashwant Sinha later in the evening.

Gray is also slated to meet the Union Home Minister L K Advani.

Asked if he has been given time by External Affairs minister Jaswant Singh, Gray referred the question to Board of Control for Cricket in India president A C Muthiah.

"In India I am solely at his disposal," he said.

Muthiah informed that a request for an appointment with Jaswant Singh has been meeting made but there's been no confirmation.

Talking about the possibility of the ICC knock-out tournament being held in India, Gray said the ICC is keen to hold the tournament in India and has made a few requests to the Indian government, one of which is tax exemption for the tournament.

He said the ICC could not take action against the BCCI for its refusal to play cricket matches with Pakistan because the BCCI does not control the foreign policy of governments and, as such, has to abide by the directive of the Indian government.

"I understand that these are things well beyond the control of the BCCI," he said.

Ms Uma Bharti, who turned up 15 minutes late for the meeting with the ICC president as she was not feeling too well, said she offered full assistance to the ICC for staging the ICC 2002 knockout tournament in India.

Would Pakistan play in that tournament?

"We are talking of 2002. This is one year away. I had told ICC president Gray that we would be very happy if the tournament is held in India. He asked for some assistance in getting tax exemption for the tournament. I told him that we would give him whatever assistance he would need to stage the tournament in India," she said.

Why is India not playing cricket with Pakistan when it is playing hockey matches with the country?

"If cricket diplomacy can help in improving relations between India and Pakistan then I am all for it. But, unfortunately, at this juncture the relations between India and Pakistan are not very friendly. Cricket has become a sort of symbol. Whether India should play Pakistan is no longer in my hands. The decision regarding this would have to come directly from the Prime Minister's office. The last time when some officials of the BCCI met the external affairs minister in this regard, the ministry referred the matter to the Prime Minister's office. As and when the decision regarding this matter is taken, I would let you know about it," she said.

Would India take part in the SAARC Games, to be held in Pakistan, later this year?

"Even this matter would be decided by the government," she added.

Have you met Prime Minister Vajpayee and discussed this matter with him?

"I have not discussed this with Vajpayeeji in the past few weeks," she said.

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