On Saturday, July 8, 2023, Ehsaan Mazari, the minister for sports in Pakistan, stated that his country would withdraw from the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India if India avoids traveling across the border for the Asia Cup.
Ehsaan Mazari said, “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.”
He made this statement a day after the formation of a high-profile committee by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to deliberate on the matter of the country’s participation in the upcoming October-November ODI World Cup hosted by India. Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is leading the committee.
Ehsaan Mazari added, “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, who leads the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, which oversees sports, mentioned that the committee headed by Bhutto is anticipated to present their report to the Prime Minister sometime next week. This will coincide with Zaka Ashraf, the newly appointed PCB chief, attending a crucial International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in South Africa. Additionally, Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, will be present in Durban for the meeting, indicating that discussions regarding the Asia Cup and World Cup are likely to take place.
Although the official schedule for the Asia Cup is yet to be released, reportedly there is a widespread agreement within the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that Pakistan and Sri Lanka will co-host the event. It is further anticipated that India will exclusively play their matches in Sri Lanka. However, Mazari expressed his disapproval of this proposed hybrid model.
He said, “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.”
He further added, “India brings sports into politics. I don’t understand why the Indian government doesn’t want to send their cricket team here. Some time back a huge baseball contingent from India was in Islamabad to play. There was also the bridge team that had travelled to Pakistan. There were around 60-plus people, I was the chief guest of the event. They won here and left. Pakistan’s football, hockey, and chess teams also travel to India.”
When questioned about India’s longstanding concerns regarding the security of their cricketers in Pakistan, Mazari dismissed it as an unsubstantiated argument.
He remarked, “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) with so many foreign players.”
Mazari made a plea for the restoration of cricket tours between the two nations. He said, “It is one the most-watched cricket games on TV. We want that, we want healthy cricket to be played. We expect a positive response from India.”
Bilawal Bhutto-led committee is formed to make a decision on Pakistan’s World Cup participation
The Pakistani government has established a high-profile committee led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to deliberate on the country’s involvement in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence in India this October.
The committee, formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been tasked with determining whether Pakistan should send its national team to participate in the tournament held in India. The decision was prompted by a request for clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board, seeking approval for the country’s participation in the World Cup matches hosted by India.
In addition to Bilawal, the committee includes Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsaan Mazari, heads of national security institutions, and the foreign secretary.
PCB’s concerns regarding the World Cup tour to India
In their pursuit of official clearances to travel to India for the Cricket World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to Prime Minister Sharif and the country’s Interior and Foreign Ministry. The PCB had also inquired about any potential reservations regarding the five designated venues selected for hosting matches involving the Pakistani team.
Furthermore, the PCB had expressed interest in sending a security delegation to evaluate the facilities and arrangements prior to confirming the team’s visit to India for this prominent tournament.
The Asia Cup
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that Indian players will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on August 31, due to security concerns raised by the Indian government. Consequently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has adopted a hybrid model for hosting the matches, with four games planned to take place in Pakistan and the remainder in Sri Lanka.
The Asia Cup 2023 will witness the participation of six teams, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, competing in a total of 13 One Day International (ODI) matches from August 31 to September 17, 2023.
Notably, India and Pakistan have not engaged in any bilateral cricket series for more than a decade, meeting solely in tournaments organised by the ICC and ACC.
As the term of the Shehbaz Sharif government in Pakistan is slated to conclude in August, any decisions regarding the team’s visit to India are likely to be postponed until the new administration assumes office.