On Saturday, PCB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan came up with a threat they will not send their team to India for the 2021 T20 World Cup if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) won’t send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup T20 in September this year.
Talking to the reporters in Lahore, Khan said, “If India doesn’t come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, we would also refuse participation in the 2021 T20 World Cup there.”
The senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official dismissed reports that PCB had given up Asia Cup hosting rights to BCB in exchange for Bangladesh sending its team to Pakistan.
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He said, “The hosting rights have been given to us by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and we can’t just hand them over to anyone. We don’t have that authority.”
However, Khan conceded that due to issues with India currently two venues are being considered for hosting the Asia Cup. India hasn’t visited Pakistan since 2008 while it has also not played a full Test bilateral series with Pakistan since 2007 due to strained political and diplomatic relations. Pakistan did visit India in 2012 to play a short limited-overs series.
Cricketing pundits say the main hurdle to Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup will be whether India agrees to play in the country citing security concerns. Khan also confirmed that a security delegation from Cricket South Africa (CSA) would be visiting Pakistan in February to monitor the security condition as Pakistan has invited the Proteas for a three-match T20 series in Pakistan in March-April after the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
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Referring to the visit of ICC Chief Executive to Islamabad and Lahore earlier this week, PCB CEO said that the board would try to get hosting rights of at least three ICC events between 2023 and 2031. He also said that Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) would be sending its team to Lahore to play four matches and the team would include prominent players such as Moeen Ali, Kumar Sangakara and Ravi Bopara.
