"Unfair To Deprive People...": Former Pakistan Captain Questions PCB Over World Cup Stance

15.07.2023 - 09:29 sports.ndtv.com

Former Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq has advocated for his country's team be allowed to compete in the ODI World Cup in India and added that not sending the side for the mega-event would be "depriving people" of the opportunity to see the arch-rivals clash on the biggest stage. "When there can be contacts between the two countries in other sports, why not in cricket.

Why link cricket with political relations? It is unfair to deprive people of a chance to see their teams play against each other," said Misbah, the 49-year-old former Pakistan captain and coach at a function here on Friday. "It is great injustice to the fans who follow Pakistan and Indian cricket a lot," added the batter, who has more than 11,000 international runs.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently conveyed to the ICC and the BCCI that the national team's participation in the World Cup in October-November this year is subject to government clearance due to the tense relations between the two countries.

India has refused to play its Asia Cup matches in Pakistan owing to geopolitical tensions, and after months of speculation around the continental tournament, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that the event will be staged in a hybrid model with four games in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka (neutral venue) from August 31 to September 17.

cricket India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team BCCI Pakistan Cricket Board World Cup 2023 cup Zaka Ashraf India Sri Lanka Pakistan

All the cricket fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be held in October in India. The 10-team tournament will kick start from October 5 with England taking on New Zealand in the first match. The Rohit Sharma-led side, who will aim to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought, will be opening their campaign against Australia on October 8. As all the teams are preparing for the marquee event, former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has come up with a warming for Team India.

"Pick Their Brains...": World Cup Winning Captain Advices Rohit Sharma's India To Seek Help From 2011 Champions

A lot would be riding on the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team when it gets down to action at the 2023 ODI World Cup. The last tie India hosted the ODI World Cup, MS Dhoni led the 'Men in Blue' to the world title. However, going into the World Cup, the Indian cricket team is far from settled as it continues to experiment. England's 2019 ODI World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has said that despite the home advantage that India will do well if they take advice from the 2011 Champion team.

Pakistan Agree To Play India At World Cup On This Date, Instead Of October 15: Report

The marquee World Cup clash between India and Pakistan will be held in Ahmedabad on October 14, instead of originally scheduled date October 15 as PCB has agreed with ICC and BCCI on proposed change of dates of two of its matches. Pakistan will also play Sri Lanka on October 10 instead of October 12 in Hyderabad which will facilitate a three-day gap before the India game. The India versus Pakistan match had to be rescheduled due to issues with regards to deployment of security on the first day of Navratri festival in Ahmedabad.

"Am Turtle, Not A Rabbit...": Hardik Pandya's Unique Response To Bowling Workload Question Ahead Of World Cup

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya said that he is ready to take up a significantly higher bowling workload as he builds towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at home from October 5 to November 19, but added that he is still "a turtle, not a rabbit". The all-rounder is currently with India's white-ball squad for series in West Indies, he had a full two months off after Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded on May 29. In this period, he "switched off" for a month and underwent physical conditioning for three weeks at the National Cricket Academy where there was equal focus on both skill and fitness.

India-Pakistan World Cup Date In Focus As BCCI, State Bodies Meet In Delhi

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials, including president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah, met in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the plans for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. The tournament will start on October 5, with the final set to be played on November 19 in Ahmedabad. As per sources, members from the 10 hosting venues have also been invited to the meeting, which was called by Shah. However, the biggest topic of discussion will be the rescheduling India vs Pakistan match.

India vs Pakistan World Cup Match, Scheduled On October 15, Likely To Be Held On...

The original schedule for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 has the highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash scheduled for October 15 in Ahmedabad. However, the fixture is reportedly likely to be rescheduled as the date also marks the beginning of the Navaratri festival in the state. Considering the extent to which the Navaratri is celebrated in Ahmedabad and the whole of Gujarat, the security agencies said to have expressed concerns over logistical issues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), hence, is reportedly looking to restructure the itinerary despite the fact that the tickets for the high-profile match have already been sold out.