The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed that no Pakistan players will be part of the Asia XI side which will take on World XI in March in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is all set to celebrate the birth centenary of ‘Bongobondhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, by hosting two T20 matches.
The International Cricket Council is set to have given the official status to the matches. However, as there is political tension between India and Pakistan, it is expected that either India or Pakistan players will take part in the Asia XI side. Ergo, it is going to be hard to witness the players from both teams play together.
Political tension is once again the reason.
While speaking to IANS, BCCI Joint Secretary Jayesh George has made it clear that no Pakistan players will be invited to play in the two T20 matches. George confirmed that BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will decide the five Indian players who will take part in the two matches.
“What we are aware of is that there will be no Pakistan players in the Asia XI. That is what the message is, so, there is no question of both countries coming together or picking ocne over the other. Sourav Ganguly will decide the five players who will be a part of the Asia XI,” he said.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ehsan Mani has added fuel to the fire. Mani recently said took a dig at the Indian government for the ongoing political tension and said there are more security concerns in India than Pakistan.
“We have proved Pakistan is safe, if someone isn’t coming then they should prove that it’s unsafe. At this time, India is a far greater security risk than Pakistan.
“No one should now doubt security arrangements in Pakistan after successful Sri Lanka Test series. This is a turning point for the revival of Test cricket in Pakistan. Media and fans played an important role in portraying a positive image of Pakistan worldwide,” Mani had said.
It would be interesting to note how things will pan out for the two T20 matches. As of now, there are bleak chances that we will witness Indian and Pakistan players playing together on the field.