The match is slated to take place on September 14-15.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has decided to write to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to shift the Asia/Oceania zone Davis Cup tie against Pakistan from Islamabad to a neutral venue amid the political tensions over India’s revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.
The match is slated to take place on September 14-15.
A senior AITA official told DNA late on Thursday that a letter would be sent to the ITF in a day or so conveying as much. “We are hopeful that our request in this regard will be accepted on the simple ground that no team in recent times has played in Pakistan. The situation has become even worse after Islamabad expelled India’s ambassador and suspended trade ties,” said the official.
No Indian Davis Cup team has travelled to Pakistan since 1964. In turn, in recent years, Pakistan Davis Cup team has played a lot of ties at neutral venues. Indian cricket team has also not toured the neighbour country since 2007, while bilateral cricketing ties have remained suspended since 2008.
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“There is also a question mark over obtaining visas from Pakistan. Even if we get visas on time, what about the security?” the official said.
AITA is likely to quote ITF’s own security parameters while making the request, to avoid any penalties. Stiff penalties can be imposed on any country which refuses to travel to the venue.
“Security parameters are set by the ITF. In the face of serious security threats in a country, ITF has always taken a proper decision and shifted many ties to safer places,” an AITA official stated.
Earlier in the day, AITA secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee had hinted at seeking a neutral venue. Chatterjee said the Indian government would be taken into confidence before a call is taken.
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