Published: May 18, 2023, 03:50 PM (IST)
Edited: May 18, 2023, 03:50 PM (IST)
New Delhi: India is hosting ICC World Cup 2023 in October-November this year but the Pakistan Cricket Board has threatened to withdraw from the marquee event after BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023.
Recently former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi expressed his views about Pakistan’s participation in ICC ODI World Cup. He emphasised the need to keep politics and cricket separate and suggested Pakistan to play in the ODI World Cup in India. Afridi also said that the Asia Cup 2023 should take place in Pakistan.
“Pakistan team should tour India for the World Cup. This will send a positive message about Pakistan supporting cricket. Asia Cup should take place in Pakistan. I think cricket and politics should be kept separate. There should be no further delay with regards to final decision on the Asia Cup,” he added.
Pakistan chief Najam Sethi has also made it clear that they will boycott the World Cup if BCCI forces Asia Cup 2023 to be moved out of Pakistan. “They want all the matches in a neutral venue,” he told Reuters in a Zoom interview. “BCCI should take a good, rational decision so that we don’t have any problems going forward. “India should not be looking at a situation where we end up boycotting the Asia Cup and also the World Cup, and then India ends up boycotting the Champions Trophy”, he said.
According to Sethi, Pakistan will want reciprocal terms for their team at the World Cup in October and November if India agrees to the hybrid model for the Asia Cup. Notably, PCB has proposed a hybrid model for the Asia Cup where India’s matches could be played outside Pakistan.
“We also have security concerns for our team in India,” he said. “So let Pakistan play its matches in Dhaka or Mirpur, or UAE or in Sri Lanka.
“This is the solution going forward, until such time that India agrees to play Pakistan, in Pakistan and outside Pakistan, bilaterally.”
