The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is most likely to send to a team to India to review the security arrangements in place at the venues where the Green Brigade is scheduled to play in the upcoming ICC 2023 ODI World Cup.
The PCB will then take a final call on Pakistan’s participation in the showpiece event.
As per reports, a special team is being constituted under the aegis of PCB, Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry, which will tout to India to inspect the venues for Pakistan’s scheduled matches in the showpiece event. The team is likely to visit Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, officials in the Sports Ministry have said that reviewing the security situation in a foreign country is part of a standard practice for any cricket playing country.
“Before any tour to a foreign country, in this case India, it is a standard practice for the cricket board to seek permission from the government, which normally sends a delegation to the host country. The delegation will interact with the officials there and discuss and inspect with them the security and other arrangements for our players, officials, fans and media, who will go for the tournament,” the official said.
“The PCB will share the report with the ICC and BCCI if the delegation has any concerns,” sources said.
The PCB has maintained that its decision on the ICC World Cup will need clearance from the government, especially the tour to India.
“We are liaising with the government for guidance, and as soon as we hear something from them, we will update the ICC. This position is consistent with what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when it shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback,” said a spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).