New Delhi: A total of 10 teams including Pakistan are to play in the ICC ODI World Cup to be held in India. But Pakistan is screwing it up. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed an investigation team of 11 ministers under the leadership of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto. This team will take the final decision regarding the Pakistani cricket team coming to India and playing in its fixed venue. The probe team may soon visit India and submit its report to the PM. Pakistan has to play matches at 5 venues including Ahmedabad in India. The matches of the tournament will be played from October 5 to November 19.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Ehsan Mazari, who is part of the investigation team, has clearly said that if Team India does not come to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup, then our team will also not go to India to play the World Cup. Talking to The Indian Express, Mazari said that my personal opinion is that ever since the Pakistan Cricket Board came under my ministry, it is clear that if India demands a neutral venue for its Asia Cup matches, then we will also keep the same demand for our World Cup matches in India.
Matches are to be held at 2 venues
There was a long dispute between the BCCI and the PCB regarding the venue of the Asia Cup. The tournament was hosted by Pakistan, but the BCCI had made it clear that the team would not go to Pakistan. After this, the PCB proposed a hybrid model. According to this, 4 matches of the tournament will be played in Pakistan while the other 9 matches will be played in Sri Lanka. All the matches of Team India will be held in Sri Lanka only and the final will also be held here. However, the schedule of the tournament to be held from August 31 has not come yet.
Ehsan Mazari told that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will head the committee. I am one of the 11 ministers who are part of this committee. We will discuss the issue and give our recommendation to the Prime Minister, who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB. The Prime Minister has to take the final decision. He said that the committee can share its report with the Prime Minister any time next week. This will be the time when the new PCB chief Zaka Ashraf will attend the ICC meeting in South Africa. Asian Cricket Council chief and BCCI secretary Jay Shah is currently in Durban for the meeting. There is expected to be a discussion about the Asia Cup and the World Cup here.
Sports Minister Ehsan Mazari said that he was not in favor of the Asia Cup hybrid model. Pakistan is the host of the tournament, it has the right to organize all matches at home. Cricket lovers also want the same. He said that when I heard that Pakistan’s match is to be held in Ahmedabad, I laughed because relations cannot be one-sided. India will also have to come here to play with us.
