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Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has called a high-level committee, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, to make a decision regarding the national cricket team's participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The committee's purpose is to thoroughly examine and discuss various aspects of Pakistan-India relations, the government's stance on keeping sports and policy separate, and the prevailing conditions in India for players, officials, fans, and media. The committee will then present its recommendations to Prime Minister Sharif.
It is worth mentioning that the Prime Minister also serves as the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the host Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have already announced the World Cup schedule and expect Pakistan to travel to India for the 50-over tournament, which is set to commence on October 5.
However, the PCB has informed both the ICC and the BCCI that Pakistan's participation in the prestigious event is contingent upon government clearance due to the strained relations between the two countries.
The committee consists of other prominent members, including Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mahmood, Amin ul Haq, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and former diplomat Tariq Fatmi. The concerned ministers have expressed their intention to send a high-level security delegation to India to assess the safety measures and conditions at the venues where Pakistan's matches are scheduled.
In related developments, the acting chairman of the PCB, Zaka Ashraf, and chief operating officer Salman Taseer are expected to attend ICC meetings in Durban. During these meetings, Ashraf is likely to address India's repeated refusal to send their team to Pakistan, citing security concerns.
Of particular anticipation is the highly-awaited match between India and Pakistan, which will be held at the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15. Before that, Pakistan is scheduled to play two warm-up matches in Hyderabad, followed by their opening World Cup encounters against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka at the same venue.
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