Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has confirmed there is no guarantee that Babar Azam’s team will play their big-ticket match against India in the ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad and their government will take a final call. He also said their tour will also depend on the government’s approval.
The Telegraph had reported on Thursday that Pakistan hadn’t agreed to play their October 15 group league match against India in Ahmedabad and their ministry of foreign affairs hadn’t yet cleared the Motera Stadium because of security issues.
“We have written to the ICC that we can’t give approval or disapproval to this (World Cup schedule),” Sethi said at a media conference in Lahore on Friday. “It’s our government who has to decide, just like when it comes to India, it’s their government that decides when they go to play.
“There is no point asking us if we will play in Ahmedabad. When the time comes, first it will be decided whether we are going or not, then the government decides where we will go. Our decision will rest on these two important conditions.”
Pakistan are scheduled to play their remaining eight matches in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta.
“You remember what happened in 2016? India did not come before that also, but we went to India. I remember I went to the interior minister at that time. We discussed whether we should go to India or not, boycott the World Cup or not. Then we discussed it with then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He said we have to go.
“Then we formed an IB team which went to India, checked the venues in India, we got one venue changed from Dharamsala to Calcutta. Then we went and participated in the T20 World Cup.”
Sethi did not put a timeframe on when the government would decide. The country is preparing for the general elections in October.
“I have taken up the issue with Prime Minister and they haven’t deliberated about this,” Sethi said. “The PM said they have to involve the foreign office as well and have to think through so it’s premature... There is no development right now...
“...if they give us permission then it comes down to our venue preference where we are going to play. It’s the government’s decision...”
