‘Pak won’t travel…:’ Pakistan minister puts Men In Green’s participation in ODI WC under cloud of doubt

Ehsaan Mazari, minister in-charge of sports in Pakistan, has said that country’s cricket team won’t be travelling to India for the upcoming ICC World Cup if India doesn’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Mazari said this in a conversation with news outlet The Indian Express. The statement by Mazari comes a day after Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-profile committee to decide on the issue of Pak travelling to India for the World Cup.

“My personal opinion, since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) comes under my ministry, is that if India demands to play their Asia Cup games at a neutral venue, we would also demand the same for our World Cup games in India,” said Mazari.

The World Cup is scheduled to played in India from October 5 to November 19. Pakistan and India, however, are at loggerheads ever since India denied travelling to Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup. Mazari, in his conversation, also spoke about the mandate of the committee formed the Pak PM and said that PM Sharif will take the final decision.

“The committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and I am among the 11 ministers who are part of it. We will discuss the issue and give our recommendations to the PM, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The PM will take the final decision,” said Mazari.

India, notably, has said it won’t be travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and since then, many developments have taken place. The latest is Pakistan reportedly agreeing to share the hosting with Sri Lanka in a hybrid model. After the first four games of the Asia Cup, rest are expected to be played in Sri Lanka which include all the games of the Indian side and the final as well. India has cited security concerns to not travel to Pakistan and Mazari wasn’t particularly pleased with it.

“India brings sports into politics. I don’t understand why the Indian government doesn’t want to send their cricket team here. Some time back a huge baseball contingent from India was in Islamabad to play. There was also the bridge team that had travelled to Pakistan. There were around 60 plus people, I was the chief guest of the event. They won here and left. Pakistan’s football, hockey and chess teams also travel to India,” he said.