Pakistan Cricket Board officials revealed that he has written a formal letter to their prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the foreign ministry to seek an official clearance to travel to India for the ODI World Cup later this year in India. Pakistan team will not travel to India if they are denied approval from their Government to travel to the neighbouring nation.
Pakistan is expected to participate in the World Cup and is currently waiting for clearance from its government to play in the mega event. The development comes after the ICC finally announced the schedule for ICC World Cup 2023.
Speaking to Espn Cricinfo, PCB officials revealed that they have requested the Pakistan Government for clearance to participate in the mega event in India, as the decision to play in the different match venues will be decided by the Pakistan Government in the coming days and added that they will depend on the government to follow the procedure to participate in the event.
“Soon after the World Cup schedule was announced last Tuesday, we wrote to our Patron, Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, requesting clearance to participate in the World Cup,” the PCB told.
“The decision to visit India and approve venues at which we can play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan. We have absolute trust in the judgment of our government and will follow whatever is advised”.
Earlier it was reported that the venues of the Pakistan games are subjected to changes based on the stand of their Government as Chennai will be the backup option to host the much anticipated India- Pakistan game if the Pakistan Government does not allow their team to play the match in the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
It Will Solely Be The Government’s Decision – PCB Official
Pakistan Cricket Board officials said that Pakistan Government will be formulating the steps for the Pakistan team ahead of the World Cup and said the cricket board requires clearance from their government for their tour to India for the World Cup as the officials will assess the security match venues due to the long-standing tension and conflicts between the two neighbouring countries.
“It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organizers, then it will solely be the government’s decision,” PCB Official added.
With the term of the ruling government in Pakistan ending in August, the decision on Pakistan travel to India is likely to be made by the forthcoming Government. The report suggested that Pakistan Cricket Board is contemplating sending security officials to the five venues Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata to check the safety of the venue.