With Dharamsala chosen as venue to host the high-profile World T20 match between India and Pakistan in March, Himachal Pradesh's transport minister G S Bali today asked BCCI to give it another thought following the death of a local in the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase.
Sanjeev Rana, hailing from Shahpur which is just 20 kms from Dharamsala, lost his life in the terrorist attack.
Keeping in mind the anger towards Pakistan among the local people, Bali urged the BCCI to give it a second thought.
"I am leaving it all to Anurag Thakur, who is BCCI secretary and HPCA president, to take a decision on whether to hold the match or call it off," Bali said.
Talking to reporters here, Bali said that people were raising questions regarding the logic behind playing a match with Pakistan "when our jawans are being killed by terrorists".
Bali said that he was not against cricket but given that it's a commercial venture "we should be cautious about how the emotions of the crowd would be during the match".
If the game does take place as per schedule, he suggested that all earnings should go to the army's welfare fund for the Pathankot martyrs.
