Ehsaan Mazari, Pakistan’s Minister of Sports, has made it clear that Pakistan would not participate in the 2023 World Cup in India if India does not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Mazari, who is a member of the committee responsible for deciding Pakistan’s World Cup participation, shared his views on the matter with the The Indian Express.
“As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) falls under my ministry, my personal opinion is that if India insists on playing their Asia Cup matches at a neutral venue, we will also demand the same for our World Cup matches in India,” he told the newspaper.
This statement comes shortly after Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, formed a high-profile committee to decide on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by India in October-November.
Mazari explained the committee’s role, saying, “Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will chair the committee, and I am one of the 11 ministers involved. We will discuss the issue and present our recommendations to the Prime Minister, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The final decision will be taken by the Prime Minister.”
Mazari revealed that the committee, led by Bhutto, was expected to submit its report to the Prime Minister in the coming week. This coincides with a crucial meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in South Africa, which will be attended by Zaka Ashraf, the newly appointed PCB chief, and Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who also serves as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman. It is anticipated that discussions regarding the Asia Cup and World Cup would take place during this meeting. The delay in releasing the Asia Cup fixtures is likely due to the PCB’s hard stance on the matter.
While the official schedule for the Asia Cup has not been announced, it is believed that the ACC is leaning towards a joint-hosting arrangement between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India playing all their matches in Sri Lanka. However, Mazari expressed his disagreement with this “hybrid model”, stating, “Pakistan, as the host, has the right to hold all the matches within its territory. This is what cricket lovers want, and I do not support a hybrid model.”
He also expressed his confusion regarding India’s reluctance to play cricket in Pakistan, highlighting instances of other sports teams from India visiting the country. “India is mixing sports with politics,” he said. “I fail to understand why the Indian government does not want to send their cricket team here. Not long ago, a large Indian baseball contingent visited Islamabad to play. There was also a bridge team that traveled to Pakistan with over 60 members, and I was the chief guest at the event. They won and left. Pakistan’s football, hockey, and chess teams also visit India.”
Regarding India’s concerns about the security of their players in Pakistan, Mazari dismissed them as weak arguments. He cited the recent visits of the New Zealand and England cricket teams to Pakistan, where they received presidential-level security. Mazari also mentioned the successful hosting of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which featured numerous foreign players.
He also addressed the comments made by Najam Sethi, the former PCB chairman, who suggested that India deliberately scheduled Pakistan’s World Cup match against them in Ahmedabad to ensure Pakistan’s absence. Mazari did not share that view. “I don’t think Ahmedabad will be an issue,” he said. “Pakistan has played there before. However, a positive response from India should come first. India should play in Pakistan. Let’s wait and see what decisions are made while Zaka Ashraf is in South Africa.”