“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 PCB told ESPNcricinfo.
“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. 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 two teams haven’t played against each other in any bilateral series for over 10 years and face off only in ICC and ACC events.
It is understood that with the term of the ruling government in Pakistan ending in August, the decision on whether the team will travel to India is likely to be deferred until the next government takes charge. The current government will probably not make a formal announcement at this stage. The matter could stretch further until closer to the departure date like it was in 2016 when India hosted the T20 World Cup.
In 2016, Nawaz Sharif’s government gave the team a last-minute clearance to travel after sending a delegation to India for security reconnaissance. The PCB had threatened to pull out of the T20 World Cup unless they had assurance from the Indian government regarding the security of the Pakistan team, which eventually resulted in the India-Pakistan match moving from Dharamsala to Kolkata.