ICC building with Najam Sethi. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to receive written assurance over Pakistan’s participation in the forthcoming ODI World Cup, which will be held in India. It is no secret that the two apex cricket boards- the PCB and the BCCI have been at loggerheads over the hosting rights of the Asia Cup 2023.
While Pakistan were handed the hosting rights initially, the Indian board outrightly refused to travel to the neighbouring land as confirmed by the BCCI secretary, Jay Shah. As per the latest developments, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have backed the idea of moving the competition out of Pakistan.
The SLC and BCB have also disregarded the ‘hybrid model’ proposed by Najam Sethi, which could thereby see Pakistan lose their hosting rights. With the Asia Cup having a domino effect on the forthcoming ODI World Cup, the ICC has not yet received any written assurance from the PCB over their participation in the mega event in India.
Just like in case of BCCI, It can only come to PCB subject to government clearance: ICC board member
If an ICC insider is to be believed, the situation of Pakistan is quite similar to that of Indian cricket. So far in regard to participation in the upcoming ODI world cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board has cited their participation as subject to receiving clearance from their government, just like the Indian board had cited their reasons for not considering to travel for the Asia Cup.
“India coming to Pakistan and Pakistan going to India doesn’t depend either on BCCI or PCB. So, PCB can’t give any assurance to ICC about its participation in the global event. It is the Pakistan government that will give approval just like in case of BCCI, it can only come to PCB subject to government clearance,” an ICC board member privy to developments was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, the ICC too is yet to release the official schedule of the ODI marquee event which will commence in October. However, reports suggest that the arch-rivals – India and Pakistan are likely to cross swords on October 15, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad.
In addition to this, Bengaluru and Chennai are the two venues that could host the bulk of the Men in Green’s fixtures in the World Cup. However, an official statement about Pakistan’s participation is yet to be released along with the schedule of the ODI mega event.