Mumbai, Jan 4 : By giving a visa to former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad, the government was extending a hand of friendship to Dawood Ibrahim, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said Friday.

Thackeray said in an editorial in the party's mouthpiece Saamna that Miandad, the director general of the Pakistan cricket board who is scheduled to be in New Delhi Saturday for the one-day India-Pakistan match Sunday, was relative of the fugitive don.

"Miandad's son is married to Dawood's daughter," he said.

The Shiv Sena has long opposed India's cricketing ties with Pakistan.

Thackeray said in his editorial that India could have sent out a strong message by not issuing a visa to Miandad, but the government did not do so.

"Our lame government is seeking to forget the past and play cricket with Pakistan. By issuing a visa to Miandad, our shameless government is now extending a hand of friendship to Dawood's relative. When we have a lame and shameless government, Pakistan is bound to take advantage of us. What is a common man going to do?"

He recalled that Miandad had come to meet his late father Bal Thackeray in Matoshri and requested him to not oppose the Pakistan cricket team playing in India. The edit piece went on to say that even then Bal Thackeray had politely told Miandad that he was a cricket fan and had no problems with sports. (IANS)