PAKISTAN’s government has cleared the national team to take part in the Twenty20 World Cup starting February 7, but has barred them from playing against India, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.
“The government of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the Twenty20 World Cup, however, the Pakistan team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February against India,” a Pakistan government release said.
The Pakistan team is set to fly to Colombo on Monday afternoon after a week of uncertainty following Bangladesh’s expulsion from the tournament.
The decision was announced after Pakistan’s cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the second time in a week in Lahore on Sunday.
Naqvi had earlier not said whether the team would refuse to play India in the Sri Lankan capital, but the Shahbaz Sharif-led coalition government confirmed its decision on Sunday.
The World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8. It is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and features 20 teams.
Naqvi had last week indicated a possible boycott of the tournament in protest against the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to reject Bangladesh’s request to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns.
Bangladesh’s request was rejected by ICC Board members after weeks of discussions, with Pakistan the only country to support them.
The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland last Saturday. Naqvi criticised the decision, accusing the governing body of double standards.
Pakistan’s refusal to play against India, whom they have already faced at neutral venues in Sri Lanka, is expected to have financial implications.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket since 2012 and only meet in multi-nation tournaments.
Under an agreement signed last year, India and Pakistan agreed not to travel to each other’s countries for ICC events, instead playing at neutral venues.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7 in Group A, which also includes India, the United States and Namibia.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Kamran Akmal supported the government’s decision.
“Enough is enough, we had to take this decision,” Akmal told AFP. “India has been frequently mixing politics with sports and damaging the spirit of the game, so our government has taken a strong decision which should be backed.”
The International Cricket Council rejected Pakistan’s decision.
“This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” an ICC release said.
“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions.”
The ICC said the decision was not in the interest of the game.
“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.”
An India-Pakistan match remains the most watched fixture, with the ICC recording 206 million viewers for the Champions Trophy match between the two sides in Dubai last year.
The ICC said it expects Pakistan to consider the impact of the decision.
“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”
The ICC said it hopes Pakistan will reconsider.
“It (ICC) expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”
