Several cricketers including Pakistan skipper Babar Azam are set to perform Hajj this year, sources revealed on Monday.
Reliable sources said that the cricketers who are performing Hajj this year include Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf and Fakhar Zaman. Moreover, Pakistan's former Test cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq will also perform Hajj alongside his wife.
As per the sources, Babar will be accompanied by his mother on the blessed journey. They will leave for Saudi Arabia in the second week of June.
It must be noted here that the Pakistan team has no international assignment till late July, the time they are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for two-match Test series. The ICC Test Championship matches might be converted into ODIs in case Sri Lanka qualifies for World Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are already in discussion to play ODI matches ahead of the ICC World Cup, due this year in India.
There is also uncertainty around Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup, which the PCB is supposed to host in September this year.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and is keen on ensuring that the event is held at a neutral venue. However, the PCB is not keen on hosting the event outside Pakistan since it would affect its efforts with regard to the return of international cricket in the country.
The BCCI is also unlikely to accept the hybrid model proposed by the PCB, which would have given India the option to play their matches at a neutral venue.