``Thackeray's anger and resentment are legitimate and absolutely justified. After all, what is Pakistan doing in Kashmir? Terrorism. Hundreds of Hindu families are being killed. Some people rightly feel angry as a reaction to that. I do not blame Thackeray for giving vent to his anger and people must understand it. No Indian should have any doubt about Pakistan's misdeeds,'' Jethmalani said.

However, he did not quite agree with his method. ``He (Thackeray) should talk to the Central Government, specially since his party (Shiv Sena) is a part of the alliance at the Centre,'' he added. But Jethmalani thinks that the Indo-Pakistan cricket match would finally be played in Maharashtra without muchproblem.

``Thackeray will cool down in due course. The Central Government has anyway made it clear that the Pakistan team will play in Maharashtra and will get adequate protection,'' he said. However, nobody else seemed to find any reason in the Shiv Sena chief's behaviour. Madhav Rao Scindia, former Union minister and former president of BCCI said that Thackeray's stance was a ``challenge to the authority of Central Government and also a reflection on its efficacy.''

He said that this matter cropped up very often and did not do any good to a ``liberal thinking democratic country like India.'' Scindia added that art, culture and sports, or for that matter any people to people exchange of ideas should not be prevented. ``It is the Central Government's responsibility to ensure that such matches or any other Indo-Pak exchanges are not prevented. We just had the World Cup for Blind where Pakistan also played,'' he added.

NKP Salve, former Union minister and former BCCI chairman, condemning Thackeray'sstance as ``most unfortunate'', said that even if the Pakistan cricket team did play in Maharashtra, they should not play in either Mumbai or in Pune. ``The law and order situation there is at such a low ebb that the stadium will be burnt down if the team plays there. Everybody knows who is the remote control behind the chief minister of Maharashtra. Matches can be played at Nagpur or Kolhapur without disturbance,'' he said.

Salve said when efforts to normalise relations between India and Pakistan were being made, raking up of the controversy was unwarranted and unjustified. ``I would have understood such an attitude in political field but not in sports. We are allowing all performers and artists in the country, then why not sportsmen. People of Maharashtra want to see the two countries play cricket in their state. After all our best cricketers are from here. Thackeray is voicing his opinion which is against the wishes of the people,'' he said.

Syed Shahabudin, former MP thinks that Thackeray has spokencompletely out of turn on the issue. ``No state government can impede and impose their views on any cultural or sports organisation as he is trying to do. Thackeray should now think twice before making this a big issue because it is his government which is ruling Maharashtra. If the BJP accepts his challenge then it should be prepared to go out of power in the state,'' he said.

``All level-headed people must realise that whatever be the state of Indo-Pak relations, good-neighbourliness and co-operation is essential and there is no better way to promote this than through cultural and sporting ties,'' Shabuddin added.