Fund allotted for the opening ceremony of the IPL to go to the families of the Pulwama Martyrs

No IPL inaugural ceremony in 2019.

The CoA chairman, Vinod Rai has said that the money allotted for the opening ceremony of the IPL this year will go to the families of the Pulwama attack victims.

“We will not have any inaugural function for the IPL and the money budgeted for that goes to the martyrs’ families,” The budget for the IPL opening ceremony last year was Rs 30 crore,” he said.

Also Read: Let Pakistan be isolated in the cricketing community, says Vinod Rai

The cries – ‘Snap ties with Pakistan’ are getting louder by the day.

The BCCI has officially written to the cricketing world to sever ties with Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel. In a letter to the global cricket body, the BCCI has also expressed concern over the “safety and security” of players and match officials for the World Cup in the UK, starting May 30.

India, however, needs a broad consensus in the cricketing world to isolate Pakistan. According to the ICC constitution: “A member may have its membership terminated if the Board of Directors considers that the member’s breach of its obligations as a member is sufficiently serious to warrant termination.”

Reflecting the current sentiment in India, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has called for cutting off all sporting ties with Pakistan, which former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has echoed.

In its communication with the ICC, the BCCI has voiced  concerns following the terror attack on Indian soil by a Pakistan-based terror outfit.

It also has mentioned the global diplomatic support that India has received after the attack. BCCI has urged the cricketing community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates.”

“The BCCI also mentioned its concerns over the safety and security of fans of Indian cricket at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The BCCI trusts that the ICC and ECB will ensure that the most robust security is provided to players, match officials and fans of Indian cricket for the upcoming World Cup,” it said.