Ehsaan Mazari, the Pakistani sports minister, recently announced that if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not agree to participate in the Asia Cup 2023 held in Pakistan, Pakistan will not send its team to India for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Mazari said in an interview with The Indian Express that “My personal opinion, since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) comes under my ministry, is that if India demands to play their Asia Cup games at a neutral venue, we would also demand the same for our World Cup games in India.”
Despite Pakistan being asked by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to visit India for the World Cup, the ICC has stated that Pakistan has signed a participation agreement and is expected to be present at the tournament. The ICC acknowledges that each member nation must adhere to their own country’s laws and regulations. Nevertheless, the ICC remains confident that Pakistan will travel to India for the Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Also read: Asia Cup 2023 Schedule: Four Asia Cup matches in Pakistan; remaining nine in Sri Lanka
Following the establishment of a commission by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to investigate Pakistan’s participation in the ODI World Cup hosted by India, Ehsaan Mazari, one of the 11 ministers on the committee, shared its mandate. Mazari mentioned that the committee, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will discuss the issue and provide recommendations to the Prime Minister, who is also the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Ultimately, the Prime Minister will make the final decision based on the committee’s discussions and recommendations.