The Pakistan cricket team is "likely to leave for India on Friday to participate in World T20 via Dubai," according to Shafqat Ali of the DECCAN CHRONICLE. Despite the green signal to the cricket team to travel to India, the "deadlock between Pakistan and India’s governments" on matters of giving public assurance regarding security of the team persisted. A government official said, "Pakistan team will land in Dubai and from there they will fly to Kolkata. The government can still ask them to return from Dubai but we are positive we will play the world cup." Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that "despite tense environment the government decided to send cricket team to India but since then unabated threats are being hurled and allegations leveled." He said that "these threats were Pakistan-specific and therefore, have to be taken seriously by Pakistan government" (DECCAN CHRONICLE, 3/11).
DIG IT UP: The HINDUSTAN TIMES reported Anti-Terrorist Front of India, which has been "stridently opposing the Pakistan cricket team playing in India," threatened that "they will dig up the pitch at Eden Gardens that is hosting the high voltage India-Pakistan tie in the World Twenty20." The ATFI has been "opposing hosting of the Pakistan team until the terror masterminds behind the Mumbai, Pathankot and the recent Pampore attacks are handed to India by Pakistan." ATFI National President Viresh Shandilya said, "Hosting of Pakistan in India is a grave insult to all our brave soldiers who were martyred in these attacks. We will not allow the match at any cost, we will dig up the Eden pitch, there will be massive protests" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 3/10).
