PCB chairman Ramiz Raja confirms 2023 ODI World Cup plans
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja has made it crystal clear that Pakistan will not participate in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup if Team India doesn't travel to their land for the Asia Cup next year. Notably, Pakistan have the hosting rights of the next year's continental event. The WC is scheduled to take place in India. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place just before the global event next year. BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier stated that India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue. His statement took the entire cricket fraternity by storm. PCB even expressed its disappointment in an official statement. Ramiz has now further cleared the board's stand on the matter.
What did Ramiz say?
"Our position is blunt that if they (Indian team) come then we will go to the World Cup, if they don't come then let them do it," Ramiz Raja was quoted as saying by Urdu News. "Let them play without Pakistan. If Pakistan does not participate in the World Cup scheduled in India next year, who will see it?" he added.
Ramiz highlights Pakistan's recent success against India
The PCB boss also highlighted Pakistan's performance against the Men in Blue in the last two years. India suffered defeats against Pakistan in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup earlier this year. "We have defeated the biggest business-making cricket team in the world, we have played the final of the T20 World Cup," he stated.
We have beaten the board of billion dollar economy: Ramiz
Speaking about the financial aspect, Ramiz said, "We have to improve the economy of Pakistan cricket and that will only happen when our team performs well, we have done it in the 2021 T20 World Cup." "Beat India, we beat India in the Asia Cup, Pakistan cricket team has beaten the board of billion dollar economy twice in one year."
Pakistan hasn't hosted a multi-nation event since 2009
The 2009 Asia Cup was the last multi-nation cricket event to be played on Pakistan soil. International teams stopped touring the nation after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. Even the inaugural Pakistan Super League edition, in 2016, took place in UAE. International cricket returned to Pakistan with a white-ball series against Zimbabwe in 2015.
Several international teams have toured Pakistan in recent years
Prominent teams like England and Australia toured Pakistan earlier this year for bilateral series. Sri Lanka's national team has traveled Pakistan twice since 2017. Notably, England will be in Pakistan next month to play three Tests, starting December 1.
Shah's statement caused a stir
Notably, the Asian Cricket Council has awarded the Asia Cup 2023 hosting rights to Pakistan. However, Shah, who happens to be the President of the cricket body, stated India won't travel to Pakistan and will instead push for a neutral venue. "We have decided we will not travel to Pakistan. We will play at a neutral venue," Shah told reporters last month.
India and Pakistan have only been meeting in multi-nation events
Owing to the political tension between the two nations, India and Pakistan have only been meeting in multi-nation events. The two sides last played bilateral cricket in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for two T20Is and three ODIs. India and Pakistan last met in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 last month, where India recorded a four-wicket win in a nail-biting affair.
