Pakistan’s new Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi has said that the decision to send Pakistan team for the 2023 ODI World Cup to India will be taken at the government level.
A lot of controversies surrounding Pakistan cricket and the tussle going on between the PCB and BCCI are in discussion now. A few months back, Asian cricket council chief Jay Shah was considering the option of shifting the 2023 Asia Cup from Pakistan because BCCI was not willing to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the mega event.
Regarding the matter, Pakistan’s previous Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja has made a statement that Pakistan will reconsider pulling out of the mega event if India didn’t come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
Raja’s decision did not go down too well with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Following Pakistan’s 3-0 loss to England, Sharif appointed Sethi as the PCB chief.
Now Sethi confirms the decision regarding the issue that “if the government says don’t go to India, we will not go”.
“Where Pakistan and India’s cricket relations are concerned, let’s be clear. (The)decisions on whether to play or not play tour or not tour are always taken at the government level”.
“We will obey whatever the government would suggest to us and we will seek the government’s advice when the time arrives, similar to the last time I was the chairman”.
Sethi says he will be in touch with the Asia Cricket Council on the issue of the Asia Cup which Pakistan is going to host next year.
“As far as the Asia Cup is concerned, I will go to ACC (Asian Cricket Council) and see what the situation is and we’ll take a decision that is in the better interest of the game. We have to see what the other board’s position is, we have to play cricket with everyone, and we will not take any step which can cause any isolation”, Sethi added.
“I’ve always respected him, and I understand his position, but we will always welcome if he wants to do commentary assignments in the future”, Sethi said about Ramiz Raja.
Sethi also defended the Prime Minister’s decision to remove Raja as PCB chairman.
“I was chairman in 2018. When Imran Khan’s government was formed, I resigned although some people in (the) corridors of power told me no one will remove me. I have always believed that (the) prime minister has the right to choose his candidate to run cricket affairs, so I resigned.”
