Indo-Pak World Cup clash should go ahead: Prakash Padukone

Mumbai, Oct 19: Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone feels the upcoming India-Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup should go ahead despite the prevailing political tensions between the two countries.

The match on October 24 will be the World Cup opener for both the sides. "I personally feel sports should not be mixed with politics and it should go ahead, that is my personal opinion, whether it happens or not, I am no authority, I am nobody to comment," Padukone said on the sidelines of an event at the National Sports Club of India here.

"But if you ask my personal opinion, I think the match should go ahead, they have played in the past, so many times, so this is no different," he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in government in Delhi, on Tuesday said the match should be cancelled in view of the recent killing of civilians by terrorists in Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference, AAP MLA Atishi said there should not be any cricket between the two countries until Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I am sure that not only the AAP but even the BJP and its leadership as well as the prime minister will agree that until Pakistan stops sponsoring terror attacks in India territory, there should not be any cricket match between India and Pakistan," she said in a press conference in Delhi.

So far in this month, 11 civilians have been killed by terrorists in Kashmir. On Sunday, terrorists shot dead two workers from Bihar and injured another after barging into their accommodation in Kulgam in south Kashmir.