Ehsaan Mazari, Pakistan’s Minister in charge of sports, has issued a strong warning, stating that if India refuses to travel to a neutral venue for the Asia Cup, Pakistan will withdraw from the upcoming 2023 World Cup hosted by India. Mazari shared his personal opinion, given that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) falls under his ministry, emphasizing that if India demands a neutral venue for their Asia Cup matches, Pakistan would expect the same treatment for their World Cup games in India.
This statement comes shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-profile committee to deliberate on the country’s participation in the World Cup scheduled for October-November. The committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, includes Mazari and 11 other ministers who will provide recommendations to the Prime Minister. Ultimately, the Prime Minister, who also serves as the patron-in-chief of the PCB, will make the final decision.
Mazari revealed that the committee is expected to present their report to the Prime Minister in the following week. Coincidentally, during this time, Zaka Asharf, the new PCB chief, will attend a crucial meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in South Africa. With Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, also present at the meeting in Durban, discussions regarding the Asia Cup and World Cup are likely to take place.
While the exact schedule for the Asia Cup has yet to be announced, there seems to be a general consensus within the ACC that Pakistan and Sri Lanka will jointly host the tournament. It is anticipated that India will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. However, Mazari expressed his opposition to this “hybrid model,” asserting that as the host nation, Pakistan should have the right to hold all the matches on its own soil.
The Minister expressed his puzzlement over India’s reluctance to play cricket in Pakistan, citing the integration of sports and politics by the Indian government. He highlighted instances where Indian teams participated in different sports events in Pakistan, emphasizing that Pakistan’s football, hockey, and chess teams also travel to India without any major issues. Mazari dismissed security concerns as a mere excuse, noting that both the New Zealand and England cricket teams had recently visited Pakistan and were provided with top-level security arrangements.
Mazari called for the resumption of cricket tours between Pakistan and India, acknowledging the immense popularity of their matches and the desire for healthy cricketing competition. He expressed hope for a positive response from India, while the International Cricket Council (ICC) has previously urged Pakistan to travel to India for the World Cup, stating that Pakistan has signed a participation agreement and they expect them to be there.
Responding to Najam Sethi’s comment about Ahmedabad hosting Pakistan’s World Cup match against India, Mazari did not raise any objections, stating that Pakistan had previously played there. However, he emphasized the need for a positive response from India and urged them to reciprocate by playing in Pakistan. With Zaka Ashraf currently in South Africa, the outcome of discussions and decisions regarding these matters remains to be seen.