8 Feb 2010, 0837 hrs IST

MUMBAI, India: Nationalist Congress Party president and cricket administrator Sharad Pawar on Sunday persuaded Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to lift the ''ban'' on Australian cricketers playing IPL matches. Thackeray had threatened to disrupt any match involving the Australians in retaliation to the attacks on Indians in Australia.

On Sunday evening, Pawar, along with BCCI chief Shashank Manohar, drove to the Sena chief's heavily guarded bungalow 'Matoshri' in Bandra East and got him to completely withdraw his opposition.

Apparently, Pawar, also the Union agriculture minister, briefed Thackeray about the steps taken by the Centre to ensure an end to attacks on Indians in Australia. Given the close ties between the two, Thackeray gave in and lifted the ban, Manohar said.

This is the second time in two days that Thackeray has backed off in a raging controversy. Earlier, he had ''banned'' on Shahrukh Khan's film, 'My Name Is Khan' since the actor had favoured Pakistani cricketers playing for IPL. But, mysteriously, the ''ban'' was lifted — with speculation in Mumbai that the Centre had warned Thackeray of serious consequences if he went ahead with his decision to block the film's release.

Manohar later said Pawar impressed on Thackeray the need to let the Australian players tour India not only in the interest of IPL, but in the larger interest of cricket. The Mumbai police, though, was upset that Pawar went out of his way to appease Thackeray.

0 (0)