ODI World Cup 2023: Seeking clearance to play in the ODI World Cup 2023, the Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly written a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The PCB recently said that their participation in the quadrangular event in India is subject to clearance from the country’s government. If cleared, the Men in Green are all set to face India in the ODI World Cup on October 15.
According to the report of ESPN Cricinfo, PCB has written a letter to Shehbaz Sharif and has also addressed it to the Ministry of Interior and External Affairs. PCB is seeking advice on whether their team can travel to India and whether there is any objection to the venue Babar AzamK’s men will play.
“Immediately after the announcement of the World Cup schedule last Tuesday, we wrote to our patron, Honorable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), requesting approval, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior participate in the World Cup,” the PCB told the website.
Government’s decision to allow Pakistan to play in India: PCB
The board also said that it is the decision of the government to send its team for the showpiece event in India and it will follow the instructions. “The decision to tour India and to approve the venues where we can play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan. We have full faith in our government’s decision and will follow whatever advice is given.”
“It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan what procedure they want to prepare and follow before advising us on the next steps. If there is a need to send an advance team, it will do so. It will be entirely the decision of the government,” it added.
As per the above report, the letter was written at an event on June 26, a day before the ODI World Cup schedule was officially announced.
Delegation ready to visit India
Recently it was reported that Pakistan will send a security delegation to India to check the security of the venues where Pakistan will play its World Cup games. As an official source in the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) said, once the election for the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board is held, the government, including the foreign and interior ministries, will decide when to send the delegation to India. The Men in Green will play their World Cup matches across five venues – Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.