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Pakistan Threatens to Withdraw from World Cup 2023
Pakistan Sports Minister Ehsan Mazari has threatened that Pakistan will withdraw from Cricket World Cup 2023 scheduled in India later this year.
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Pakistan Sports Minister Ehsan Mazari has threatened to withdraw from ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which will take place in India later this year. Mazari has said that India has refused to play in the Asia Cup in Pakistan. The Asia Cup will now take place as a hybrid tournament. Most matches will be held in Sri Lanka (9) while four will be played in Pakistan. The hybrid model approved by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is a big step in the backward direction for Pakistan which is trying to bring international cricket back to their country.
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Pakistan out of World Cup 2023
The threat from Pakistan of withdrawing from World Cup 2023 is not something just out of the blue. They have raised many security concerns in the recent past. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had even said that they did not want to play at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad until and unless it is a knockout game. The marquee game between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on the 15th of October.
Pakistan’s request to move their games
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had declined Pakistan’s request to move their game from the Narendra Modi Stadium. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the largest stadium in terms of seating capacity and is expected to bring in a lot of revenue for ICC. Pakistan’s withdrawal from the World Cup will have an adverse effect on the country’s cricket scene. According to the Pakistan Sports Minister, Pakistan will seek the same thing for its World Cup matches in India if India insists on playing its Asia Cup games at a neutral venue.
This statement from Ehsan Mazari came after reports came in that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee that will look into the matter of Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India. The head of the committee is Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. It is also reported that they will be travelling to India to check the security the Babar Azam-led team would have.
How does Pakistan’s withdrawal affect them?
Pakistan has been given the hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. If they threaten to pull out from the World Cup 2023 their rights for hosting the Champions Trophy will be put in jeopardy.
Also Read: World Cup 2023: How does the schedule benefit India?
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