Changing of World Cup 2019 schedule: PCB to take a strong stance over India’s request

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to take a strong but dignified and civilised stance against India’s request of changing 2019 World Cup schedule.

It has been learnt through reliable sources that the PCB will be taking up the issue at the right platform and remind the cricket world that as par the International Cricket Council constitution, sports and politic should and must be kept separate.

Sources further stated that the PCB will argue that a qualified team for the World Cup cannot be removed from the event by anybody, and the letter that the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Committee of Administrators (COA) wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) holds no significance. “Even the committee does not qualify or have the right on technical ground to write to the ICC,” the source added. The ICC constitution clearly states that it won’t accept the government intervention in cricket which clearly nullify the BCCI’s stance that they wrote to the ICC on their government’s direction, stated another source.

Only recently an international shooting event qualification was cancelled by the International Olympic Committee after India refused Pakistan shooters visa. After India’s denial of visas to two Pakistani shooters and one coach for ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in New Delhi, Pakistan put forwarded two demands to the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). Similarly, the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) also cancelled the Indian leg of the Asian Tour 10 Reds Snooker tournament due to refusal of visas to Pakistani cueists. PCB will also discuss the issue of the ban that was imposed on captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Furthermore, PCB will hold dialogues with other cricket boards to send their senior as well as junior teams to Pakistan. Let it be known that ICC has already announced that the World Cup schedule or venues will not be changed.