Jagran Editorial Cricket cannot be separated from politics, Pakistan will have to understand its real reason.

Don't know what answer BCCI gives and whether PCB is satisfied with its answer or not, but it is difficult to say that Indian cricket team will go to Pakistan. It is not yet decided whether the Champions Trophy will be held there if the Indian team does not go to Pakistan or not? It is also not clear that if the Champions Trophy is not held in Pakistan, then will it be held in a hybrid manner in any other country? Under this, some matches may be held in Pakistan and some in other countries. Since the Asia Cup has been held in this manner, this possibility is not being ruled out.

Amidst all this, PCB is insisting that we are not going to adopt hybrid model, but perhaps it will be forced to do so, because if BCCI is adamant that it is not going to send its team to Pakistan, then PCB and ICC There may be a situation of holding the Champions Trophy without India. If this happens then the attractiveness of this trophy will fade. Not only this, ICC will also have to face financial loss, because why would Indian companies advertise in a competition in which India will not play?

The largest number of spectators of cricket is in India and Indian companies become organizers-sponsors of a large number of matches in which India participates. If Pakistan is adamant on holding the Champions Trophy without India, then the broadcasters can give up. Since the future of the Champions Trophy is in limbo, there is a lot of debate on whether the Indian team should go to Pakistan or not? Amidst this debate, PCB decided that it would also organize the Champions Trophy exhibition in the cities of Jammu and Kashmir under its control.

When BCCI objected to this, ICC had to tell PCB that it cannot do this. PCB had to step back. This caused embarrassment to Pakistan as well as PCB. After all, why did the PCB do this? Was he not aware that not only BCCI but also the Government of India would have objection to this? It is clear that PCB was trying to provoke India. One can understand that the PCB might have done this at the behest of the government and the army that controls it.

Najam Sethi, who himself was the chairman of PCB, believes that the decision to exhibit the Champions Trophy in Ghulam Kashmir was taken only at the behest of the Pakistani Army. It is clear that in the case of Pakistan the phrase that cricket should be kept separate from politics has no meaning.

Whenever India refuses to play cricket with Pakistan due to its actions, it hears advice from all over the world that sports should be kept separate from politics. Consider that those preaching this just recently kicked Russia out of the Paris Olympics. Whatever the future of the Champions Trophy, it is important to know when the Indian team stopped going to Pakistan.

This was done after the horrific terrorist attack in Mumbai in November 2008. More than 160 people were killed in this attack. Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and its army were involved in this attack. It is ironical that in the month of November itself there is a debate on whether the Indian cricket team should go to Pakistan or not? Those who feel that India should send its cricket team to Pakistan in the spirit of sports, should consider whether Pakistan has done anything to punish the culprits of the Mumbai attacks? He hasn't done anything.

The perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks are still roaming freely in Pakistan – just as the perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Pathankot and elsewhere are roaming freely. The task of sending Lashkar terrorist leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi to jail under pressure from India, who gave instructions on phone to the terrorists who came to attack in Mumbai, was definitely done, but it was only to throw dust in the eyes of India and the world, it is known. Then came the news that he became a father while he was in jail. Recently he was seen roaming freely in Rawalpindi.

It is clear that Pakistan has no interest in punishing the culprits of Mumbai attacks. He should be asked that if he is interested in the Indian cricket team coming to Pakistan then why is he not taking any interest in the culprits of Mumbai attacks being punished? It is true that many people of Pakistan have a great desire that Indian cricketers should come to play on their soil, but should India forget that the culprits of Mumbai attacks are roaming freely in Pakistan? Pakistan must know that the Indian team is not coming to play there because of supporting the culprits of Mumbai attacks.

(The author is an associate editor at Dainik Jagran)