Davis Cup: India-pak tie shifted to neutral venue
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: After months of speculation and uncertainty, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Monday agreed to the All India Tennis Association’s (AITA) request to move the Davis Cup Asia/oceania Group 1 tie out of Pakistan. India were due to play Pakistan in Islamabad on November 29 and 30 but several Indian players refused to travel to the neighbouring country citing security reasons. The tie will now be played at a neutral venue that is yet to be confirmed.
“Following a review of the latest advice given by the ITF’S independent security advisors, the Davis Cup Committee has taken the decision that the Davis Cup Asia/oceania Group I tie between Pakistan and India on 29-30 November 2019, must be played at a neutral venue,” an ITF statement said. “The ITF and Davis Cup Committee’s first priority has always been the safety of athletes, officials and spectators and the decision was made on this basis.” The tie was originally supposed to take place in September but was postponed to November after the Indian federation raised questions about the security of players in Pakistan. After persistent pleas by the AITA and a security review by the ITF, the Davis Cup Committee decided to shift the venue. The new venue will be decided by the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF).
“As per the Davis Cup Regulations, the Pakistan Tennis Federation now has the choice to nominate a neutral venue and has five working days to confirm their proposed venue. The venue will be announced once the choice has been submitted and approved,” added the statement.
RAJPAL TO BE CAPTAIN
Following the development late on Monday, the AITA also confirmed that former Davis Cup player Rohit Rajpal will replace Mahesh Bhupathi as the nonplaying captain for the Pakistan tie and players who had earlier opted out of the contest due to security concerns will be reconsidered. The decision to replace Bhupathi was taken at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chandigarh after he had refused to travel to Pakistan.
Many top players were quite cagey about travelling to Pakistan with doubles star Rohan Bopanna, among others, making their objections clear. Former captain Anand Amritraj was also interested in taking up the job of non-playing captain again but wanted to be assured of a longer term. “Now that we have a neutral venue, the team will be selected accordingly and announced soon,” said AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee. Rajpal, who made his Davis Cup debut for India against South Korea in 1990, is also the chairman of the AITA selection panel. “It is a challenging tie and will not be easy. The idea is to motivate the players to rise to the challenge, be there and perform for the country. We will get the best team together,” Rajpal said.
PAES AVAILABLE
Meanwhile, in a major boost, seasoned campaigner Leander Paes has made himself available for the tie. “Having someone like Paes, the greatest Davis Cupper, in the pool is a major boost for the team,” Rajpal said. This will be the seventh contest against Pakistan with India having won all the previous six ties. India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 1964 Davis Cup which they won 4-0 in Lahore.
Pakistan had to choose a neutral venue once in 1973 when they decided to play India in Kuala Lumpur after the 1971 war. India had won 4-0 then. The last time the two teams met was at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, in April 2006 when the hosts won 3-2.