Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has again raised doubts over Pakistan’s tour of India for the World Cup later this year. With the Asia Cup officially deadlocked, it looked like Pakistan has agreed to play in India for the World Cup. But Sethi feels that they cannot confirm anything now and will wait for an official nod from the Pakistan government.
“As far as India and Pakistan are concerned, neither the PCB nor the BCCI can decide. Only the respective governments can decide. It is our government that has to decide, just like when it comes to India It is their government which decides when they go to play. There is no point in asking us whether we will play in Ahmedabad,” Sethi said during Friday’s press conference.
Apart from this, the PCB chairman also made it clear that the government will first decide whether we will travel to India for the mega event or not and only then the venues can be finalised. Sethi’s comments come at a time when the ICC is planning to announce the already delayed schedule of the World Cup. The draft schedule has already been sent to all boards and the PCB’s response has now put the ICC in a spot of bother.
He said, ‘When the time comes, it will first be decided whether we are going or not, then the government will decide where we will go. Our decision will rest on these two important conditions. We have also told the ICC that if our government looks into it for security reasons and allows us, we will come to play in India. If they don’t, how can we come and play in India? Even if the government allows us, we have to look at the venues and decide where to go for the game. He comes later. First, the government has to give us approval. He has to tell us whether we can go or not,” Sethi said.
(Inputs from PTI)