Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has formed a committee of ministers to assess whether Pakistan will participate in the ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India from October to November 2023, according to ESPN Cricinfo. The committee will be chaired by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The primary objective of the committee is to provide recommendations regarding Pakistan's travel plans to India. Based on these recommendations, the Prime Minister will make the final decision regarding Pakistan's participation in the tournament.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee of ministers to decide on Pakistan's tour of India for the World Cup 2023.
Members of Committee_!
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Rana Sanaullah, Azam Nazir Tarar, Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mehmood, Aminul_ pic.twitter.com/UW1kHUEAJs— Nawaz __ (@Rnawaz31888) July 8, 2023
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The establishment of this committee comes in response to a letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the government, seeking guidance on whether the team should travel to India. The letter also inquired if there were any concerns about the five venues designated for the matches and whether a security delegation should be sent to India.
The committee will be responsible for deciding whether Pakistan will travel to Ahmedabad for their third league-stage game against India, which is scheduled for October 15. Additionally, the committee will provide recommendations regarding Pakistan's tours of the four other Indian cities where matches are scheduled to be held.
As of now, Pakistan is set to play against Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, India; Australia and New Zealand in Bengaluru; Bangladesh and England in Kolkata; and Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai.
Apart from Foreign Minister Zardari, the committee comprises notable members such as Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. Other members include Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mehmood, Aminul Haque, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister.
The committee includes representatives from various political parties, as well as heads of intelligence agencies and the Foreign Secretary. This diverse representation aims to ensure decision-making is not influenced by a potential change in government, as the incumbent government has approximately 34 days remaining in its electoral term.
This committee of ministers marks a significant development, as it is the first time such a high-profile committee has been established for this purpose. Typically, the PCB consults with the Foreign Ministry regarding travel to India. However, the inclusion of multiple ministers highlights the elevated significance of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. As is customary for any ICC tournament, particularly when it involves traveling to India, Pakistan's participation is subject to government approval.
