ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written a letter to the government, seeking permission to participate in the upcoming cricket World Cup which would be hosted by India later this year, a source familiar with the development confirmed on Sunday.
Pakistan’s participation in the 50-over ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup hangs in the balance as the PCB authorities have categorically said in the past that it cannot guarantee the cricket team can travel to India for the tournament without the government’s permission.
Political tensions between the governments of India and Pakistan mean both sides have not played a bilateral cricket series at each other’s home grounds since 2013 when Pakistan last toured India for a series. According to the World Cup schedule released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last week, India and Pakistan will square off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.
“The PCB has reached out to the government for permission [to participate in the World Cup],” the source told Arab News, without disclosing the relevant government department from which the permission was sought.
Members of the video take images of the trophy of the upcoming Men’s Cricket World Cup during an event announcing the tournament's schedule, in Mumbai, India, on June 27, 2023. (AFP)
Local media reports, however, said the letter has been written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as the interior and foreign ministries of Pakistan.
Before India and Pakistan face each other in the World Cup, the two sides are slated to play at least two matches in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, which would be hosted by Pakistan. After India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, the Asian Cricket Council agreed to a “hybrid model” according to which four of the nine matches would be played in Pakistan while the rest would be played in Sri Lanka.
A cricket match between India and Pakistan is a big-ticket contest, with millions across the world glued to their television sets to witness the action between the two South Asian giants.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars over the past 75 years, mostly over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir which they both claim in full but administer parts of. This makes a cricket contest between the two sides a spectacle for fans of the sport worldwide.
