Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are consider-ing conditioning the departure of the Pakistan team to visit India for the ODI World Cup based on the Indian team’s arrival in Pakistan for the Asia Cup scheduled in September.
The issue will be discussed at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting on March 20, along with other concerns.
Last month’s ACC meetings in Bahrain ended with the PCB reiterating their stance with clashes between the arch-rivals generating huge revenue for both the ICC and the ACC. Reports suggest that the ICC and ACC may decide to hold Indo-Pak clashes at the neutral venue of United Arab Emirates but clarity on that matter will only come after this month’s meetings.
A three-member team of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will fly to Dubai on March 17 to attend the meeting of the ICC and Asian Cricket Council. PCB Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi, Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer, and Faisal Hasnain will represent Pakistan at the meetings.
Sources indicate that the PCB officials will take a strict stance on the issue of the Pakistan team’s participation in the ODI World Cup. While the Pakistan Board cannot boycott the ICC event, the issue of the Pakistan team’s departure to India is critical.
Before the ODI World Cup, Pakistan will host the Asia Cup in September. The Secretary of the Indian Cricket Board and President of the Asian Cricket Council, Jay Shah, recently announced that the Indian team would not visit Pakistan and that the Asia Cup would take place in the UAE instead.
Pakistan Cricket Board officials are unhappy with Shah’s unilateral decision and plan to take the Indian board to the task at the ICC meeting.
The PCB officials will demand that if the Indian team is unwilling to come to Pakistan, Pakistan’s matches scheduled in the ODI World Cup 2023 should be held in the UAE instead of India.—Agencies
