The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Mumbai will be off limit for sometime: Speed

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Mumbai will be off limit for sometime: Speed

Melbourne: Former ICC chief Malcolm Speed fears Mumbai would not be a favourite venue for foreign teams after the recent terror attacks, which could also have a “large impact” on India staging cricket series and revenues earned from them.

“It would be very disappointing if the tragedy in Mumbai caused teams not to visit India, and India’s passionate fans were deprived of great contests. Pakistan faces the same problem... Clearly, Mumbai will be off limits for some time,” Speed said.

“Cricket is played in countries that are increasingly dangerous... If India is off limits for some teams for some time, it will impact on the revenues of the BCCI,” he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. The former ICC CEO, however, said he would like cricket to be a part of the healing process in India after the attacks in Mumbai.

“It is clear these dreadful attacks will have a large impact on cricket in India. It would be great if cricket could be part of the healing process.

“At a time of such tragedy, it is difficult to focus on sport. Several cricket people were caught up in the attacks, and it’s a relief that they escaped largely unharmed.

But “Sport has the power to bring nations together. Some of the discussions between the Indian Prime Minister and Pakistan’s President over peace in Kashmir took place at cricket matches,” he said.

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