According to Indian media, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi informed International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Allardice that the Green Shirts will not play their World Cup matches in Ahmedabad.
According to the Press Trust of India, citing a PCB source, Sethi has informed the ICC that Pakistan will not play in Ahmedabad during the World Cup unless it is the final.
According to the Indian media site, “Sethi has conveyed to Barclay and Allardice that Pakistan does not want its matches scheduled in Ahmedabad unless it is a knock-out game like the final.”
“He requested that the ICC schedule their games in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata if the national team gets clearance from the Pakistan government to travel to India for the global event scheduled in October and November,” a source told Reuters.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wishes to hold a match between Pakistan and India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. PCB, on the other hand, has qualms about the venue.
The ICC leaders visited Lahore earlier this week to meet with Sethi. When they returned, they pronounced Pakistan a sports-friendly country and voiced their delight at the country’s ability to host the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Furthermore, the ICC delegation hinted at intervening between the PCB and the BCCI while requesting assurance from Pakistan about their participation in the forthcoming World Cup, which is set to take place in India in October-November this year.
After India declined to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, Pakistan may also refuse to travel to the neighboring country for the 50-over format mega tournament. The Asia Cup decision is likely at the end of this month.
