Pakistan willing to play World T20 matches at neutral venue

PCB awaits government go-ahead for next month’s tournament in India

KARACHI: India will be hosting one of international cricket’s most popular events – the ICC World Twenty20 championship – this spring but there is a possibility that old rivals Pakistan could be forced to play their matches of the tournament at a neutral venue in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.

Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, said on Wednesday that PCB was mentally prepared for its team to play on neutral soil in case the federal government stops it from sending the national cricket team to India where the World Twenty20 championship will be played from March 8-April 3.

The PCB chief hinted that the decision to play Pakistan’s World T20 matches at Indian venues will only be taken after consulting with the government.

The Board has sought government’s advice on the matter and is prepared to ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Pakistan’s matches to a neutral venue if Islamabad refuses to allow the team to travel to India.

“We have told the ICC the decision is with the government and it’s not just us who have to decide,” Shaharyar told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

“We need to understand that there are specific Pakistan-oriented security threats and we are concerned, hence [we have] involved the government. These are not general threats, like Australia had in Bangladesh and they did not send their team for the Under-19 World Cup.

“We didn’t say or propose playing the World T20 matches at neutral venue but someone at the ICC meeting said that if there are concerns over any extremist activity [at Pakistan matches] then neutral venues will be looked into. Since it’s an ICC event and not a bilateral series we have to play it but if the decision [by the government] is negative then maybe the ICC could say that our matches be held in neutral venues in Sri Lanka or United Arab Emirates, and we will be ready for that.”

In October 2015, talks between the India and Pakistan boards for a proposed series in December were put on hold after protests from the Shiv Sena, a regional political party. Fifty party workers stormed the BCCI office in Mumbai, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and demanding that the BCCI cancel the series. Following the protests, the ICC withdrew umpire Aleem Dar from the last two ODIs of the South Africa series [the fifth match was held in Mumbai] and former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, who were in India on commentary duty, also returned home early.

In the World T20, none of Pakistan’s league games will be played in the state of Maharashtra. Should Pakistan qualify for the semi-final, they will play that match in New Delhi, regardless of whether they place first or second in their group; the other qualifier from their group will play the semi-final allotted to Mumbai. The semi-final venue could change if Delhi is unable to host World T20 games.

Currently, more than 400 Pakistani athletes across disciplines are in India for the South Asian Games in Guwahati, Assam.

Shaharyar, however, said, cricket could attract more threats. “There are more chances of attacks on cricketers than on swimmers and players of other games,” he said. The ICC and the Indian cricket board (BCCI) could not be immediately reached for comment.