Cricket“If India will not travel to Pakistan for Asia cup, we will…”- Mazari about the venue issues
Ehsaan Mazari, the minister in charge of sports in Pakistan, recently gave a big statement and stated that if India refrains from travelling across the border for the Asia Cup, Pakistan will withdraw from the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in India this year. Talking to the Indian Express, Mazar stated his opinion and said that since the Pakistan Cricket Board comes under his ministry, If India demands to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, Pakistan will also demand the same for World Cup matches.
Mazar is among the 11 ministers of this committee
This statement came right after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set up a high-profile committee to look into the issue of Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup hosted by India later this year. Stating the mandate of the committee, Mazari said that “the committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and I am among the 11 ministers who will be a part of it. The issues will be discussed, and recommendations will be given to the Prime Minister, who is the patron-in-chief of PCB.
Mazari, who heads the ministry of interprovincial coordination that oversees the sport, said the committee headed by Bhutto could share its report with the prime minister any time next week. This will also be the time when new PCB chief Zaka Ashraf will attend an important international Cricket Council meeting in South Africa. Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah is in Durban for the meeting, with the Asia Cup and World Cup expected to be discussed.
Mazari is not in favour of the hybrid model
The Asia Cup schedule has yet to be released, but it has been learned that this tournament will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a hybrid model. India will play all its matches in Sri Lanka. However, Mazari stated that he was not in favour of this hybrid model, and Pakistan is the host and has the right to host all matches in the country. He said that India’s unwillingness to play cricket in Pakistan is puzzling, and they are bringing sports into politics. Mazari mentioned that some time ago, a huge Indian baseball team came to Islamabad to play, and the bridge team travelled to Pakistan and left here victorious. Pakistan’s football, hockey, and chess teams also travel to India, so I don’t understand why their Government does not want to send their cricket team here, he added.
