Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), emphasized on Saturday the need of keeping politics and cricket apart while also stating that the ICC Champions Trophy competition preparations were “finalized.”
Despite assurances from all member boards regarding the security arrangements and the tentative match schedule, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan, citing political and security concerns. This has led to a dispute surrounding the tournament, which is set to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9.
Because of the PCB and BCCI’s unyielding positions, the ICC’s online meeting on Friday to resolve the matter and announce the match schedule just lasted 15 minutes.
A hybrid plan for the event in which all of India’s matches would be played outside of Pakistan has been explicitly rejected by the PCB. In contrast, the BCCI is advocating for the hybrid approach and will urge to move the Champions Trophy to another nation if the PCB rejects it.
The PCB stated in a post on X that Naqvi met with Mubashshir Usmani, the former secretary of the UAE cricket board, in Dubai today and that they talked over “important issues regarding the organization of the Champions Trophy tournament.”
“Politics and cricket must be kept apart,” the PCB chairman stated. “Pakistan is a peaceful country, and Pakistanis love the game of cricket,” stated Naqvi, who is also the interior minister. The Champions Trophy is a major competition that cricket lovers are looking forward to.
He declared, “Pakistan is ready to host the Champions Trophy tournament,” noting that security plans had been finalized and venues had been updated. “State guest protocol and security will be provided to all countries.”
Pakstan would “welcome every team with an open heart,” according to Naqvi, who also said that hosting the Champions Trophy competition was an honor.
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.