• Source:JND
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JE Sports Desk:  Pakistan's Sports Minister Ehsaan Mazari has issued a warning regarding their national team's participation in the upcoming ODI World Cup. Mazari said that Pakistan will be considering the decision to pull out of the mega event if India opts not to travel to the neighboring country for the Asia Cup which gets underway on August 31.

This development has come weeks after Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that the upcoming Asia Cup will follow a hybrid model and will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The decision was taken after BCCI expressed its discomfort on visiting Pakistan citing denial of permission from the Indian government.

 

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“My personal opinion, since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) comes under my ministry, is that if India demands to play their Asia Cup games at a neutral venue, we would also demand the same for our World Cup games in India," Indian Express quoted Mazari as saying.

As per the schedule, four matches will be played in Pakistan while Sri Lanka will be hosting the nine matches. Mazari is against the hybrid models that see India playing all their matches of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

“Pakistan is the host, it has the right to hold all the matches in Pakistan. That is what the cricket lovers want, I don’t want a hybrid model,’ he said.

Earlier, a high-profile committee was formed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in order to find a solution to the chapter regarding their team's travel to India for the World Cup. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will chair the committee and give recommendations to the Pak government to decide on the final call.

“The committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and I am among the 11 ministers who are part of it. We will discuss the issue and give our recommendations to the PM, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The PM will take the final decision,” Mazari said.

There will be an official meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in South Africa which will be attended by BCCI secretary and ACC chairman Jay Shah and PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf.

Mazari denied any problems with playing in Ahmedabad but wants India to first play in Pakistan.

 

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“I don’t think Ahmedabad will be an issue. Pakistan has played there earlier. But before that, there should be a positive response from India. India should play in Pakistan. Zaka Ashraf has gone to South Africa and so let’s see what is decided and what happens,” he further said.