Pakistan's Sports Minister, Ehsaan Mazari, has issued a stern warning to India, stating that if India decides not to participate in the Asia Cup held in Pakistan, his country will retaliate by withdrawing from the 2023 World Cup in India.
In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Mazari, who oversees the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expressed his personal opinion on the matter. He emphasized that if India insists on playing their Asia Cup matches at a neutral venue, Pakistan will demand the same for their World Cup matches in India.
This statement comes as a response to the establishment of a high-profile committee by Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, which is tasked with evaluating the nation's participation in the upcoming World Cup hosted by India. The committee, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, aims to provide recommendations to the Prime Minister, who also serves as the patron-in-chief of the PCB.
Although the exact schedule for the Asia Cup has yet to be announced, it is believed that the event will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Reports suggest that India may play all their matches in Sri Lanka, a concept that Mazari opposes, asserting Pakistan's right to host all the matches on its soil.
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Mazari expressed his bewilderment regarding India's reluctance to play cricket in Pakistan, accusing the Indian government of politicizing sports. He highlighted instances of other Indian sports teams visiting Pakistan, including a baseball contingent and a bridge team, underscoring the need for cricket tours to resume between the two nations.
In addressing the concerns regarding security, Mazari swiftly dismissed them as baseless, highlighting the fact that both the New Zealand and England cricket teams had recently undertaken tours in Pakistan, where they were provided with top-tier security arrangements, even at the presidential level. Additionally, he emphasized the successful hosting of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which boasted the participation of numerous foreign players.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has firmly urged Pakistan to uphold its commitment to the participation agreement for the highly esteemed World Cup, expressing unwavering confidence that the nation will indeed be present in India for this prestigious tournament.
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