LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Pakistan will participate in the upcoming ICC World Cup but will not play its scheduled match against India.
It cited concerns over perceived bias by both India and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
A spokesperson for the PCB confirmed that while Pakistan’s team will compete in the World Cup, it will travel to Sri Lanka and play all its matches there, including those against other teams.
However, Pakistan has made it clear that it will boycott its match against India, which was scheduled to take place in Colombo on February 15.
This decision follows a history of tensions between Pakistan, India, and the ICC. Pakistan’s protest stems from what it views as biased treatment by the ICC and India, particularly after a series of incidents during the ICC Champions Trophy.
At that time, India had refused to send its team to Pakistan under the pretext of security concerns, despite the ICC’s positive assessment of security arrangements in Pakistan. As a result, Pakistan was forced to move India’s match to Dubai.
The PCB has taken this stand with the backing of the Pakistani government, emphasizing that its team will not travel to India for future ICC events unless certain conditions are met. As part of this stance, Pakistan has also ensured that its matches in international tournaments will be held outside India.
