The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the Pakistan government seeking permission to participate in the World Cup 2023 in India. In a letter addressed to Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Interior and the foreign ministry, PCB also requested if the government had any reservations about the five venues. Babar Azam’s side plays their games in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
As per ESPNCricinfo, PCB has sought clearance from the government to participate in the World Cup 2023 in India. Due to tense political relations between the two nations, travelling to India requires official authorization. PCB hence wrote the letter on June 26 as a necessary first step.
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“The PCB has officially contacted the government to provide it guidance on its participation in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India,” a PCB spokesperson said as per Geotv.
“It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan on the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organisers, then it will solely be the government’s decision,” the spokesperson added.
Pakistan World Cup 2023 Schedule
- PAK vs Q1: Fri 06 October, at 2 PM, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
- PAK vs Q2: Thu 12 October, at 2 PM, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
- IND vs PAK: Sun 15 October, at 2 PM, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- AUS vs PAK: Fri 20 October, at 2 PM, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- PAK vs AFG: Mon 23 October, at 2 PM, Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- PAK vs SA: Fri 27 October, at 2 PM, Chidambaram, Chennai
- PAK vs BAN: Tue 31 October, at 2 PM, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- NZ vs PAK: Sat 04 November, at 2 PM, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- ENG vs PAK: Sun 12 November, at 2 PM, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Even after the schedule was finally revealed last week, Pakistan was hesitant to commit to playing without first receiving approval from their authorities. Since the 2016 men’s T20 World Cup, Pakistan has not toured India. In the past year, there has been much talk about the two sides travelling with one another for the next Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. Because the BCCI said that India would not visit Pakistan, the Asia Cup, which will be contested from August 31 to September 17, would now be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It is anticipated that since the current Pakistani government’s term is set to expire in August, any decision about the team’s trip to India would probably be postponed until the new administration enters office. At this time, it’s unlikely that the present administration will make an official declaration. As it did in 2016, when India hosted the T20 World Cup, the situation can continue to linger until closer to the departure date.
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