India demands 'robust' security at cricket World Cup
The World Cup begins on May 30.
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India on Friday demanded "robust" security for its players and fans at this year s cricket World Cup in England, but pulled back from a boycott of its match against Pakistan despite escalating tensions.
Calls have been made in India for the country to pull out of their June 16 World Cup match against Pakistan to protest the attack in Kashmir last week which killed 40 paramilitary troops.
Vinod Rai, a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told reporters they had sent a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) demanding tough security at the World Cup.
But he said a decision on boycotting the one-day international would only be made nearer the date -- and after consulting the government.
"The BCCI trusts... the most robust security is provided to players, match officials and fans of Indian cricket for the upcoming World Cup," the letter said.
Senior cricket figures such as former India captain Sourav Ganguly and spin star Harbhajan Singh have called for the country to boycott the game.
But Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar said a boycott would be like a defeat to Pakistan.
"India has always come up trumps against Pakistan in the World Cup. Time to beat them once again. Would personally hate to give them two points and help them in the tournament," Tendulkar said on Twitter.
Interest in the India-Pakistan game in Manchester is so high that demand for tickets has outstripped that for the World Cup final, according to ICC officials.
The World Cup begins on May 30.
