CoA Chief Vinod Rai Cancels IPL 2019 Opening Ceremony, Says Budget Will be Given to Families of Martyrs of Pulwama Attack

Rai further added that no decision has been taken on the issue of the World Cup match against Pakistan but it is “telling the cricketing community that in future we must sever ties with nations from where terror emanates.”

Showing his solidarity towards the families of the martyrs, who lost their lives in the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir), CoA chief Vinod Rai has decided to scrap the glittering opening ceremony of the 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). In what can be seen as a noble move by the head of Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), BCCI has decided to donate all the money to the families who lost their loved ones in the terror attacks.

The curtain raiser event was scheduled to be held at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The former Auditor General of India – Rai said, “We’ll not have a regular IPL opening ceremony and the amount of the budget for the opening ceremony will be given to families of the victims of this terror attack.

CoA member Vinod Rai:We’ll write to ICC expressing our concerns about attacks that took place & that security of players, officials & everybody else must be taken care of. We’re telling cricketing community that in future we must sever ties with nations from where terror emanates pic.twitter.com/XS5BgkM4ql

— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2019

Rai further added that no decision has been taken on the issue of the World Cup match against Pakistan but it is “telling cricketing community that in future we must sever ties with nations from where terror emanates.” CoA chief Rai told media after a meeting of the committee that it will write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is in talks with the government on the issue.

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“We are in talks with the government. No decision has been taken on the June 16 match,” CoA chief Vinod Rai told reporters after the meeting.

“We are expressing two concerns to the ICC. We will ask for more protection for players during the World Cup and we will tell cricketing nations to severe ties with any nation that is a terrorist hub,” he added.