- Friday, February 28, 2025
Pakistan will send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues where its national team will play during the world cup before clearing the national team’s travel there.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the country’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, seeking official approval to travel to India for the 50-over cricket world cup scheduled to kick off in October, according to a report.
In the letter, which has also been addressed to Pakistan’s interior and foreign ministries, the board sought advice on whether the national cricket team is allowed to go to India and if it is, whether there is any reservation about any of the five venues where it will play during the marquee tournament, ESPNcricinfo reported.
“Soon after the World Cup schedule was announced last Tuesday, we wrote to our Patron, Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, requesting clearance to participate in the World Cup,” the PCB told the website.
“The decision to visit India and approve venues at which we can play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan. We have absolute trust in the judgment of our government and will follow whatever is advised.
“It is entirely up to the government of Pakistan the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organisers, then it will solely be the government’s decision.”
Dated June 26, the letter also said that the PCB shared Pakistan’s schedule with the government.
It was understood that Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues before clearing the national team’s travel to the neighbouring country.
An official source in the inter-provincial coordination (sports) ministry said that the government, including the foreign and interior ministries, would decide when to send the security delegation to India once the new chairman of the PCB was elected after the Eid holidays.
He said the delegation is likely to visit the cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, the venue for the high-voltage India-Pakistan match on October 15.
Former champions Pakistan’s campaign kicks off on October 6 in Hyderabad when they take on one of the two qualifiers in the tournament.
Pakistan have travelled to India twice for the world cup in the past — in 1996 and 2011 — and on both occasions, they were knocked out by India.
(With PTI inputs)
