India have asked the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to shift their upcoming Davis Cup tie from Pakistan to a neutral venue due to escalating political tensions between the two nations.
The India team are scheduled to tour Pakistan capital Islamabad for the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie to be held on Sept. 14 and 15.
However, relations between the nations are badly strained after India revoked the special autonomy status of Kashmir, which the two have fought two wars over since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.
“We have asked the ITF for a neutral venue because the situation is a bit unpredictable,” All India Tennis Association (AITA) president Praveen Mahajan said on Sunday. “I believe it is a reasonable request because of the current state of affairs.”
Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with India amid a lockdown in India-administered Kashmir and stopped a cross-border train.
The AITA was preparing to send its team to Pakistan despite suspended sporting ties between the two countries, but the Kashmir situation has raised fresh doubts.
India cut bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, with authorities blaming Pakistani militants.
An India tennis team last toured Pakistan in 1964 for the Davis Cup, where they defeated the hosts 4-0.
Pakistan lost 3-2 when they toured Mumbai in 2006.
Until a few years ago, Pakistan were forced to host home Davis Cup ties at neutral venues as teams refused to travel to the South Asian nation over security concerns.
“I am hopeful they will shift the tie because Pakistan is used to playing in neutral venues,” Mahajan said. “The ITF will respond to our request shortly, sometime this week.”
Pakistan Tennis Federation president Salim Saifullah Khan had earlier said that they would honor the decision of the ITF if the AITA sought a neutral venue.
India named a full strength squad for the crucial tie with the country’s highest-ranked players in Prajnesh Gunneswaran (90) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (184) to play the four singles matches.
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