World T20: Rajnath Singh assures adequate security measures for Pakistan

A day after Pakistan demanded an assurance from New Delhi to provide adequate security to their cricket team for the World T20, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 11 March said that anyone coming to India will be provided adequate security.

"Whosoever will come to India will be secured," Singh told the media in Ghaziabad.

Meanwhile, senior BCCI functionary Rajeev Shukla also said the board takes full responsibility of providing foolproof security to all the teams visiting the nation for the World T20.

Shukla said that it was the board of the host nation which was responsible for the safety and security of any team visiting the country.

"I am giving the assurance that foolproof security would be provided to them .We are supposed to speak to the concerned state government and to the district administration. We are supposed to provide the security. We will be getting in touch with them. And our entire team is working in coordination with the local administration. So, security and safety will be taken care of," Shukla told the media in New Delhi.

"Now, Pakistan should not insist on this particular thing that they want something on writing. That's between the two governments and I can't say on that. But I think they should send their team," he added.

"The entire security responsibility goes on the host board. So, why Pakistan Cricket Board is concerned about it. They wanted their venue to be shifted from Dharamsala to Kolkata that has been done. Now, I think they should not be concerned about the safety and the security of their players. That's the responsibility of the BCCI," said Shukla.

"The BCCI will talk to concerned government, local administration, state government as well as Government of India to provide fool proof security to all the players," he insisted.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan had earlier asked New Delhi to give the security assurance in writing.

"The Indian government should give public guarantee of fool proof security to the Pakistan cricket team, if not assured then the team would not be given permission to participate in the World T20," he said on Thursday.

Echoing similar views, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan stated that his country's government is yet to give its approval to the cricket team to travel to India as New Delhi has not yet given assurance on the security front.

On Wednesday, the International Cricket Council decided to shift the venue for the World T20 clash between India and Pakistan on March 19 from Dharamsala to Kolkata's Eden Gardens due to security concerns.

The decision was taken after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed his aversion to the Indo-Pak match in his state after the ex-servicemen and families of slain army officials opposed to stage a match involving Pakistan in the wake of the recent Pathankot attacks.