Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-profile panel led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to determine if the Pakistan cricket team should travel to India for the ICC World Cup 2023. This is the first time such a committee has been formed as normally Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) consults with the Foreign Ministry before traveling to India.
The committee, headed by FM Bilawal, com-prises Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Minis-ter Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Mar-riyum Aurangzeb, Minister of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, chiefs of the national security institutions, and foreign secretary.
The heads of intelligence agencies and represen-tatives of all political parties have also found a place in the committee, making the scope for wide consul-tations.
The report adds that the reason behind keeping such a large panel is likely to be a buffer against a change in government as the country will be soon headed towards the general elections.
The World Cup, featuring 50 overs matches, is slated to begin this October but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that it requires the govern-ment’s approval to send the squad to India — the country’s arch-rival since its partition in 1947.
The committee will have discussions on a wide range of topics including the four Indian cities Paki-stan cricket team is scheduled to travel. Pakistani team will play against India in Ahmedabad on 15 October, against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, against Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru, against Bangladesh and England in Kol-kata, and against Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai.
Previously, the team management has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control of Cricket (BCCI) to change the match venues as they don’t want to play in Bengaluru and Chennai.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister will sign off on the country’s participation in the ICC World Cup 2023 based on the recommendations of the committee.
In the letter written via the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), the PCB had also requested the government to scrutinise the expected security on the five venues offered to Pakistan for their World Cup matches.
The ICC last week announced the schedule for World Cup 2023, with the Pakistan and India thriller scheduled for October 15 in Ahmedabad.
Five venues have been earmarked for Pakistan matches —
October 12 – vs Qualifier in Hyderabad
ctober 15 – vs India in Ahmedabad
October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru
October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai
October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai
October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
November 5 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru
November 12 – vs England in Kolkata
If Pakistan reach the semi-final, they will play in Kolkata. The final will be held in Ahmedabad on November 15.
The announcement of the World Cup schedule followed a dispute over the hosting of the Asia Cup, of which Pakistan is the formal host.
India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is to be held in August and September, and Pakistan responded by threatening to boycott the World Cup if they were not allowed to stage at least some Asia Cup matches on home soil.
The stalemate was finally resolved last month when the Asian Cricket Council accepted Pakistan’s hybrid-model solution with matches split between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
India will now play their Asia Cup matches at neutral venues in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Zaka Ashraf — who recently re-placed Najam Sethi as the interim chief of the PCB management committee and is also the prime minis-ter’s nominee for the PCB chairman — has said he will respect the hybrid model agreed by his prede-cessor but at the same time hinted that the decision to send the team to the World Cup would be taken after appropriate consultations.
Previously, he also termed the hybrid model an “injustice” and said he will try to have it reviewed on becoming the PCB chief.
When asked for his views on the matter, Rehman said he was of the opinion that if the Indian team came to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup then the Greenshirts should visit India, but, if the neighbours opted for a neutral venue then Pakistan should do the same.—APP
