Pay Indo-Pak T20 money to martyrs: HP transport minister

At a time when the terrorist attack on the Pathankot airbase is casting shadow over the foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh transport minister GS Bali has suggested the BCCI to pay the money generated from the T-20 cricket match to the families of Pathankot martyrs.

At a time when the terrorist attack on the Pathankot airbase is casting shadow over the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh transport minister GS Bali has suggested the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) to pay the money generated from the T-20 cricket match between the two countries to the families of Pathankot martyrs. The match is proposed to be held on March 19 at Dharamshala.

Bali said, “The BCCI should donate the match money for the welfare of the families of the bravehearts killed in the Pathankot terror attack. Matches should not always be played with commercial point of view, but at times they should also be played for a social cause,“said Bali.

“However, right now, I am not sure whether the match between the two countries will be played or not. It is a suggestion not as a minister, but as a common man,” said Bali, who has announced life-time free travel facility to widows of Sanjeevan Singh Rana and Jadgish Chand, the soldiers from the state, who sacrificed their lives fighting terrorists in Pathankot.

The Dharamshala stadium will also host a match between arch rivals Australia and New Zealand on March 18, besides eight other matches are to be played between countries of Bangladesh, Netherland, Ireland and Oman.

In the women category of the tournament, Dharamshala will host two matches between India, England and West Indies.

Earlier, the Dharamshala stadium had been a venue for the commercial Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and hosted nine matches in four seasons from 2010 to 2013.