Pakistan 'unlikely' to participate in World T20 without safety assurance

With just few days to go for the start of the World T20 campaign for Pakistan; Islamabad has insisted that their team is unlikely to participate in the tournament without safety assurance from India.

According to government sources in Pakistan, they are still waiting for an 'explicit assurance' from the Government of India about the security of the team and its spectators.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had yesterday welcomed the International Cricket Council's decision to shift the much-anticipated match against fierce rivals India from Dharamsala to Kolkata on March 19 but said that the national side's departure will be kept on hold until the Indian government gives an assurance of complete security to its players.

Ending weeks of uncertainty over the fate of the match, ICC chief executive David Richardson said that venue has been moved to Kolkata's Eden Garden due to security concerns.

The development came after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had earlier 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.

Pakistan will begin their World T20 campaign when they will play their opening group match in Kolkata on March 16.