KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally reached out to the country’s government earlier this week for it to provide the national team clearance to visit India for the upcoming ICC World Cup.
The PCB confirmed Saturday that it wrote to its patron-in-chief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with two relevant government departments after the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the official schedule of the 50-over showpiece.
“Soon after the World Cup schedule was announced last Tuesday, we wrote to our Patron, Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, requesting clearance to participate in the World Cup,” a PCB spokesperson said.
Pakistan are scheduled to play their World Cup matches at five venues; Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The PCB had sought the government’s advice regarding several aspects about playing at each of the said venues.
The Babar Azam-led unit, if it makes it to the semi-finals, will also not play in Mumbai, one of the venues for the last-four fixtures. The team, instead, will play the match in Kolkata after the ICC accepted the PCB’s demand to avoid Mumbai as one of Pakistan’s destinations.
“The decision to visit India and identify venues at which we should play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan,” said the PCB spokesperson. “We have absolute trust in the judgement of our government and will follow whatever is advised.”
The PCB definitely has a stance that India refused to play in upcoming Asia Cup in Pakistan and what should Pakistan should do in this scenario.
Should Pakistan respond like India being a sovereign country and categorically refuses to play it match in India. Or should Pakistan accepts hegemony of India and express its willingness to play in India.
Now the PM has to take the decision.
