Pakistan sports minister Ehsaan Mazari has said that the national team will not play in the World Cup 2023 in India, if the Men in Blue do to come to Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, which begins on August 31.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has already announced that the tournament would take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka under a ‘hybrid model’. This model sees four matches to be played in Pakistan, the original hosts, and remainder of the matches in Sri Lanka including the final.
India is grouped alongside Pakistan and Nepal, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are in the second group.
Mazari is against the hybrid model which will see India playing all their games in Sri Lanka.
“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.
Pakistan is the host, it has the right to hold all the matches in Pakistan. That is what the cricket lovers want, I don’t want a hybrid model,” Mazari told Indian Express.
Asia Cup 2023 dates and venues announced; Pakistan to host 4 matches, rest in Sri Lanka
Earlier this week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee, headed by foreign minister Bilal Bhutto Zardari, to discuss their cricket team’s participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in India from October 5.
“The committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and I am among the 11 ministers who are part of it. We will discuss the issue and give our recommendations to the PM, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The PM will take the final decision,” Mazari said.
He dismissed the security worries by pointing to recent instances of international teams visiting Pakistan and accused India of fusing sports and politics.
“The New Zealand team was here, before that the England cricket team was in Pakistan. They got presidential security. Earlier, the Indian team was given a hearty welcome by the fans here. Security is an excuse. We also held the Pakistan Super League (PSL) that had so many foreign players,” Mazari said.
BCCI secretary and ACC chairman Jay Shah and PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf will both attend an ICC meeting in South Africa next week.
Mazari also dismissed the reservations expressed by former PCB chairman Najam Sethi on India playing Pakistan in Ahmedabad during the ODI World Cup.
“I don’t think Ahmedabad will be an issue. Pakistan played there earlier. But before that, there should be a positive response from India. India should play in Pakistan. Zaka Ashraf has gone to South Africa and so let’s see what is decided and what happens,” he said.
India and Pakistan are slated to clash on October 15 at the largest cricket stadium in the world, Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad.
(Indian Express inputs)
