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NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reached out to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking official clearance to travel to India for the upcoming ODI World Cup scheduled in October-November.
The PCB has written a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, as well as the interior and foreign ministries, seeking guidance on whether the national team can proceed with their travel plans to India, an Espncricinfo report said.
In the letter, the board has inquired if there are any concerns or reservations regarding the five venues designated for Pakistan’s matches in the tournament.
“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 told the website.
“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.
“It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organisers, then it will solely be the government’s decision.”
The letter was written on June 26, according to the report.
It also said that the PCB shared Pakistan’s schedule with the government.
It is also understood that Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues before giving clearance for the national team’s travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup.
An official source in the Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) Ministry said that the government, including the foreign and interior ministry, would decide when to send the security delegation to India once the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board was elected after the Eid holidays.
He said the delegation is likely to visit Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, the venue for the marque India-Pakistan match on October 15.
(With inputs from PTI)
The PCB has written a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, as well as the interior and foreign ministries, seeking guidance on whether the national team can proceed with their travel plans to India, an Espncricinfo report said.
In the letter, the board has inquired if there are any concerns or reservations regarding the five venues designated for Pakistan’s matches in the tournament.
“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 told the website.
“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.
“It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organisers, then it will solely be the government’s decision.”
The letter was written on June 26, according to the report.
It also said that the PCB shared Pakistan’s schedule with the government.
It is also understood that Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues before giving clearance for the national team’s travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup.
An official source in the Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) Ministry said that the government, including the foreign and interior ministry, would decide when to send the security delegation to India once the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board was elected after the Eid holidays.
He said the delegation is likely to visit Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, the venue for the marque India-Pakistan match on October 15.
(With inputs from PTI)
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