India-Pakistan teams’ joint New Year bash cancelled

Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) With the Indian cricket board allowing its players a day off on the New Year’s eve, the proposed joint New Year celebration by the India and Pakistan cricket teams ahead of their game at the Eden Gardens here has been cancelled, a cricket official said Sunday.

“Though we had planned the joint celebrations, the same has been cancelled as team India players will be enjoying a much-deserved day off with their families in their respective homes on the New Year’s eve,” said Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) treasurer Biswarup Dey.

Both the squads were slated to arrive in the city Monday for the second One-Day International to be played Jan 3, but now the hosts would arrive in batches Tuesday.

The Pakistan team would arrive as slated.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was expected to be present at the match, is also likely to give it a miss in the wake of the gang-rape and death of a Delhi girl.

“The prime minister would be in the city to inaugurate the Centenary Session of the Indian Science Congress Jan 3, and we had plans to invite him for the match. But in the wake of the tragedy, he is unlikely to be present for the game,” a CAB official said.

The CAB, however, has invited several former India players and captains, including Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, for the second game of the three-match ODI series.

IANS 2012-12-30 20:46:04