ICC World Cup 2023: PCB writes to Pakistan PM for official clearance to travel to India, claims report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking official clearance to travel to India for the ODI World Cup in October-November, according to a report. In the letter, also addressed to the interior and the foreign ministry, the PCB has asked for advice on whether the national team is allowed to travel to India, and if so, if there are any reservations about any of the five venues for the Pakistan games, according to Espncricinfo.com.

The PCB told Espncricinfo.com, "Soon after the World Cup schedule was announced last Tuesday, we wrote to our Patron, Honourable Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, through the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, copying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, requesting clearance to participate in the World Cup." 

"The decision to visit India and approve venues at which we can play our matches is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan. We have absolute trust in the judgment of our government and will follow whatever is advised," PCB said. 

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"It is entirely up to the Government of Pakistan the process it wants to formulate and follow before advising us on the next steps. If this requires sending an advance team to India to inspect the venues and hold meetings with the event organisers, then it will solely be the government's decision," the report further added.

As per the report, the letter was written on June 26 in which PCB also shared Pakistan's schedule with the government.

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It is also understood that Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues before giving clearance for the national team's travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup.

An official source in the Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) Ministry said that the government, including the foreign and interior ministry, would decide when to send the security delegation to India once the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board was elected after the Eid holidays.

He said the delegation is likely to visit Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, the venue for the much-awaited India-Pakistan match on October 15.