By Amir Husain (November 6, 2012)

From an Indian point, one can understand the sensitivities involved around the question of a Pakistani team playing in Mumbai.

However, the Pakistani team will be visiting India and will be playing in India. Presumably, Mumbai is a part of India therefore the objection against a Pakistani team not playing in Mumbai does challenge logic.

In comments to the media, an official of the BCCI has clearly stated that

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India never proposed Mumbai or any Maharashtra city as a venue for the upcoming cricket series during their talks with the central government for obtaining clearance for the series. No India-Pakistan match has been scheduled in Mumbai for over three decades now," a government official said.

Once again, this is a reflection of sensitivity to popular opinion but almost looks as if the rest of India does not care about Mumbai's feelings as they seem to have no qualms in holding matches elsewhere in India.

On top of that it seems to be a concession to the Shiv Sena types who are threatening all sorts of repurcussions should Pakistan set foot in that city.

Some may argue that BCCIs hesitance to this match on grounds of security due to the much publicised instance of Shiv Sena vanadalising the pitch at Wankhede Stadium in October 1991 in protest against a Pak v India series. However, protestors had also dug up the cricket pitch in Delhi in 1999, but Indo-Pak matches have since been held in Delhi and the same venue will also be hosting a match in the upcoming series on January 6.

If the home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde statement of letting bygones be bygones is any standard to go by - and it should be as that is pretty much the basis for approving the tour - then Mumbai should have been a venue for one of the games.

BCCI has done a great service to fans of cricket in both countries by agreeing to this series - it just needs to go that little further and stand up to the voices of extremism in its own backyard.

hey can at us and they still haven't beaten us. If we can play to what our potential is, I think we will go home 1-nil."