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The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have ruled out the possibility of Pakistan playing its ICC World Cup 2023 matches in Bangladesh. The decision comes after the BCCI decided not to send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup this year.
Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 matches unlikely to be played in Bangladesh
The ICC General Manager, Wasim Khan, hinted at the possibility of Pakistan playing its matches at a neutral venue during the World Cup. However, a BCCI official strongly reacted to the suggestion and said that Wasim Khan had no right to talk about the matter.
It is noteworthy that in October last year, Pakistani cricket authorities hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the World Cup in India, a day after Indian officials stated that they would not send a team to the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan.
Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah had stated that India could not send a team to Pakistan, and that the tournament would be moved to a neutral venue. The announcement caught Pakistan by surprise, and officials warned that it could “split” the international cricket community.
Despite being considered one of sport’s greatest rivalries, India and Pakistan have not played on home soil since 2012 and only meet each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.
The ICC official confirmed that Bangladesh was not discussed at the Board meeting and that the Board had given its full backing for the event to be held in India. He further added that the ICC was focused on the event in India.
The PCB has not received any official communication from the ACC, and it noted that hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup had been given to Pakistan under Shah’s leadership.
It is unlikely that Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 matches will be played in Bangladesh. The decision has been made by the ICC and the BCCI after the latter decided not to send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup this year. It remains to be seen where Pakistan’s matches will be played, but a neutral venue seems highly likely.
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