While it waits for authorisation from the government, Pakistan is having second thoughts about taking part in the One-Day International World Cup.
It has been verified by Pakistan’s foreign office that they are evaluating all facets of their country’s potential participation in the 2018 One-Day International World Cup in India. This is the first public acknowledgement from the Pakistani government addressing the matter, which has resulted in the International Cricket Council delaying the publication of the tournament’s fixtures.
It is ultimately up to the government of Pakistan to decide whether or not the country will participate in the World Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to emphasise that the clearance for the fixture list must come from the government.
At a press conference held in Islamabad, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs named Mumtaz Zahra Baloch made the following statement: “We have received an official invitation from the Indian prime minister to our prime minister for the virtual meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation scheduled for July 4th.” There will be a representative from Pakistan present at the summit, and over the next few days, we will make an announcement on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup.
Baloch continued by saying that Pakistan is of the opinion that politics and sports should not be mixed, and that Pakistan is dissatisfied with India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan. The review of Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup includes an assessment of the security situation for Pakistani cricketers. The opinions of these cricketers will be communicated with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in due time.
It is anticipated that the 2023 World Cup would get underway on October 5, and the match between India and Pakistan will take place in Ahmedabad ten days after that. During the league phase, Pakistan is slated to play at five different locations across the country.
Since the T20 World Cup in 2016, Pakistan has not made a visit of India because of the tense political relations between the two countries. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously insisted on a clear and public commitment about player safety from the Indian government. This insistence ultimately resulted in the match between India and Pakistan being moved from Dharamsala to Kolkata.
An internal review also informed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposal to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to switch the locations of two of their World Cup matches. Despite this, the proposal was turned down, and the PCB’s evaluation did not include any discussion of security risks.
After an unprecedented amount of delay, the International Cricket Council (ICC) plans to finalise the fixture list and make it available to the public within the next week. The International Criminal Court has given Pakistan till then to convey any reservations that it may have.