Srinagar: Former Indian cricketer and now Member of Parliament from West Bengal Yousuf Pathan today called on the chief minister designate of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah at his Srinagar residence.
"My esteemed father and I were honored to welcome the renowned Indian cricketer and Lok Sabha Member Yusuf Pathan along with other distinguished cricketers, to our residence in Srinagar. The discussions revolved around the current state of affairs regarding support for cricket in Jammu and Kashmir," Omar said.
Yousuf Pathan and his brother Irfan Pathan have been frequent visitors to the Valley in view of their cricket assignments. Irfan Pathan was a team selector for Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association two years ago, while Yousuf Pathan was special invitee in the cricket league which was sponsored and facilitated by the army last year in Srinagar.
The visit follows a day after Omar Abdullah watched the ongoing Legends League Cricket at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar. The league is being held from October 9 to 16 and its final match will be played in the Bakshi Stadium. The league has witnessed cricket spectators turning up for watching matches for late night.
After watching the match, Omar told ETV Bharat that he as the chief minister will try to improve the sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir so that leagues like Indian Premier League are played in Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah is set to take oath on Wednesday as he had on Friday shown letters of support to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. His swearing in and his cabinet will end the six year president's rule which was imposed on Jammu and Kashmir on June 2018 after the PDP-BJP coalition government ended within three years before completion of its six year term.
