India-Pak Davis Cup tie likely in Kazakhstan: AITA

The tie, originally scheduled in Islamabad for September, was rescheduled to this month end by the ITF’s Davis Cup committee after India raised security concerns following heightened tensions between the neighbours.

The postponed India-Pakistan Davis Cup tie looks set to be held at a neutral venue after all with the Indian federation expecting the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to confirm Kazakhstan as the venue for the November 29-30 tie.

“It looks like we are going to Astana (Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan for the tie. We have given our passport details of our squad to ITF. We will hear formally from ITF anytime,” Hironmoy Chatterjee, secretary-general, All India Tennis Federation (AITA), told HT on Monday.

The tie, originally scheduled in Islamabad for September, was rescheduled to this month end by the ITF’s Davis Cup committee after India raised security concerns following heightened tensions between the neighbours.

The Pakistan Tennis Federation then appealed to ITF against shifting the tie out.

It was given five days by ITF to pick a neutral venue, but chose to lodge an appeal to keep the tie at home. If ITF decides on a neutral venue, it would vindicate India’s safety concerns.