Within a day after stating to boycott the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan has quashed his previous statement. With BCCI more than likely to refuse to travel Pakistan for Asia Cup 2020, Khan had earlier stated that if India will not tour Pakistan than they will also pull out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 scheduled to take place in India.
As of now, Pakistan has the rights to host the Asia Cup 2020. While BCCI has not openly talked about the participation of Team India in Asia Cup. India’s back out from the event will surely cost Pakistan because they might also lose the right to host.
Moreover, the hosting of the Asia Cup will open the doors for them to invite other countries.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan on ICC T20 World Cup 2021:
As reported by Pakistan media on Friday (25th January), Khan said that if the BCCI does not send the team for the Asia Cup this year, Pakistan would subsequently refuse to tour India next year for the T20 World Cup.
But now, the PCB CEO has taken a complete U-turn, saying that he has never meant it. He denied reports on Pakistan not sending the team to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
“Not at all. We never stated at any stage that Pakistan would not be touring India. The context of the conversation was based around Asia Cup which we have been awarded and we are due to host in September this year,” the PCB CEO Khan said.
“What I said was that we need to be convinced about the security of our players for the 2021 T20 World Cup in India. That is if we are granted visas. But never did I say that we would be pulling out of the T20 World Cup,” he added.
“T20 World Cup is an ICC tournament and it will be factually incorrect to state that we will pull out of a World Cup if India didn’t come to play Asia Cup,” Khan clarified.
Meanwhile, after successfully hosting Sri Lanka for T20I and Test series, Pakistan is playing the T20I series against Bangladesh at home. Recently, Pakistan becomes the first-ever team to feature in the 150 T20Is.
Babar Azam-led side has taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match T20I series.