The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent a letter addressed to the honourable Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requesting official clearance to travel to neighbouring nation India for the upcoming 2023 edition of the ICC ODI World Cup in October-November, according to a recently published report.
“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 said.
The board shared the nation’s cricket team’s match schedule with the government in relevance to the same, in the letter written on June 26, according to reports.
The PCB also copied the letter to the foreign and the interior ministry and sought counsel on if the national cricket unit is permitted to make the journey to India. The board further sought clarity on if there are any reservations pertaining to the venues the Babar Azam side is slated to play their World Cup games.
“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,” the board said.
It is being reported that Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India in order to inspect the venues before giving signing off on the clearance for the travel of the national side for the prestigious ICC tournament.
