Will follow due procedure before deciding to boycott WC clash with Pakistan: Edulji

There have been growing demands that India should boycott its clash with Pakistan during the World Cup following the Pulwama terror attack.

 ​New Delhi: Diana Edulji, one of the two members of Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), said on Thursday that based on the opinions from Friday's meeting will be decided whether India should boycott the World Cup clash with Pakistan in view of Pulwama terror attack or not.

“In the meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), we will follow the due procedure, which is taking opinion from External Affairs Ministry, Sports Ministry and Home Ministry and then take a call,” Edulji told ANI.

The panel is likely to seek advice to take “collective and responsible” decision with regard to the match, slated to be hosted at the Old Trafford in Manchester on June 16.

According to a BCCI official, the two-member CoA is divided on whether India should play the World Cup match against Pakistan or not. The official said the cricket body should leave the decision to the government.

"One should leave the matters of foreign policy to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and follow the government's directions "quietly", the official, who did not want to be named, told ANI.

“Do not take a step that may embarrass you, your organisation, and your country just to look good when you know it will not happen. One must leave the foreign policy to MEA. If the government directs you, quietly follow their directions,” the official said.

Sources said the CoA chief had proposed the idea of writing a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding calling off the India-Pakistan clash but the other member of the committee rejected the idea.

Earlier, sources in the BCCI had said that the cricket board will take the decision on the matter after having a consultation with the government while another board official had advocated an “unprecedented step” in the case.

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pulwama in Kashmir on February 14.

There have been growing demands that India should boycott its clash with Pakistan during the World Cup starting May 30 in England, as a mark of protest.