By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set up a high-level committee to decide whether the national cricket team should take part in the 2023 World Cup in India, amid strained relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, will examine the security situation in India for the players, officials, fans and media, as well as the government’s policy of keeping sports and politics separate, before making its recommendations to Sharif.
Pakistan are scheduled to play nine group matches in five Indian cities in the 50-over tournament, which starts on October 5. Their clash with arch-rivals India on October 15 in Ahmedabad is expected to be a sell-out.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the team’s participation is subject to government clearance, and has asked for clarity from the authorities on the road ahead.
The PCB has also expressed its reservations about playing in some of the venues, such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, citing security concerns.
The acting chairman of the PCB, Zaka Ashraf, and chief operating officer, Salman Naseer, will attend the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in Durban this week, where they are likely to raise the issue of India’s refusal to tour Pakistan for Asia Cup.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13. The India have decided not to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in August. The tournament will be held in a hybrid mode, with India’s matches taking place in Sri Lanka and the rest in Pakistan.
Pakistan and India only face each other in ICC events or the Asia Cup.
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