ODI World Cup 2023: Seeking clearance to play in the ODI World Cup 2023, Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly written a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. PCB recently stated that their participation in the quadrennial event in India is subject to clearance from the country's government. The Men in Green are set to face India in the ODI World Cup on October 15, if given clearance.
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, PCB has written a letter to Shehbaz Sharif and also addressed it to the interior and the foreign ministry. The PCB is asking for advice on whether their team can travel to India and if there are any reservations on the venues where Babar Azam's men will play at.
"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 let Pakistan play in India belongs to Government: PCB
The Board also stated that the decision to send its team for the showpiece event in India lies with the government and will follow the instructions. "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," it added.
According to the above-mentioned report, the letter was written on June 26, one day before the ODI World Cup schedule was officially announced in an event.
Delegation set to visit India
Recently it was reported that Pakistan will send a security delegation to India to check for the security of the venues Pakistan will be playing their World Cup games at. As informed by an official source in the Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) Ministry, the government, including the foreign and interior ministry will decide on when to send the delegation to India once the elections for the Pakistan Cricket Board's new chairman are done. The Men in Green will be playing their World Cup games at five venues, namely - Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
