ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not under any pressure from International Cricket Council (ICC) to participate in next month’s Twenty20 World Cup and will send national cricket team for the mega event only after government’s clearance, a PCB spokesman said on Wednesday.
“The decision to send team to India lies with the government. We have written two letters to the government, seeking approval to chip in the event. We are bound to follow whatever decision the government takes,” he told APP.
A section of Indian media recently reported that the ICC had warned PCB to play in India or face legal action.
The PCB spokesman termed these reports as rumours and stated that no such thing had come from the world cricket’s governing body.
“It is true that in a recent ICC meeting, the PCB raised the concerns regarding security of its players in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. But nothing of the sort as reported in a section of Indian media came from the ICC.”
To a query that in case if Pakistan pulled out of the event what could be the possible ICC action, he said that the Council did nothing when Australia while citing security reasons pulled out of the recently concluded ICC World Youth Cup in Bangladesh, it would be unwise to believe any action would be taken in Pakistan’s case.
“We’ve clarified our position in ICC meeting. Our concerns are genuine. A few months back, the ICC itself had withdrawn Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from officiating in a bilateral series in India. Then how can it now suggest us to send our team to that country.”
“The PCB chief has already stated that if the government doesn’t allow us to send our team to India then we’ll request ICC to shift our matches to neutral venues,” he maintained.
Source: APP
