PTF relinquishes right to host tie against India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has relinquished its right to host the forthcoming Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie against India even on a neutral place with International Tennis Federation (ITF) announcing it will now decide on venue and will be the host.

A well-placed source told ‘The News’ that the Davis Cup tie between Pakistan and India to be held on November 29-30 will now be a neutral tie with neither India nor Pakistan are to be considered as a host country.

Thus Pakistan has retained the hosting rights for the next tie whenever they will be pitted against India. “It would have been totally useless to play your home tie at a neutral place and exercise your hosting right without any justification. We have decided to relinquish our right to host the tie in the best interest of the country’s tennis. With this Pakistan has protected its right to host the next tie against India in Pakistan,” a source within the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), when contacted, said.

He added that even travelling to India at the time when Indian team did not come to Pakistan was without any justification. “We cannot travel to India as they did not turn up here without any justification.

“The ITF has decided to distribute the hosting right money equally between the two countries. For Pakistan, the ITF will be hosting the tie, and both nations would have the status of visiting teams, with conduct of the tie and the financials shared between the two. For Pakistan, this means that the next time the two teams meet, Pakistan shall retain the choice of venue.”

Pakistan’s appeal against shifting of the tie will be heard by the ITF committee that will meet within next week to decide on the arguments and facts furnished by the PTF regarding taking the tie away its original hosts.

“Our appeal has been acknowledged and placed before the Independent Tribunal. William Norris, QC. It will be deciding the case and the decision is expected by or before November 18,” a PTF official said.

It has been learnt that the ITF will decide on the venue within next week enabling both countries to finalise their travelling plan.

The tie was originally scheduled to be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex courts on September 14-15 and then was rescheduled for November 29-30 after Indian government misadventure in Kashmir.

Despite that India had sent their team members names and was indicating coming to Islamabad after submitting every detail of their travelling arrangements. Fazlur Rehman ‘Dharna’ that has locked down part of the capital is said to be the main reason of the ITF decision to shift the venue to a neutral place. Had it not been to Dharna, the ITF was adamant to see the important tie going on in Islamabad.

The decision by the ITF also seems to be an outcome of Indian lobby pressure that has its say in international tennis.