Ex-Pakistan player rips into Ramiz Raja, says PCB have 'no guts' to boycott ODI World Cup

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has slammed PCB chairman Ramiz Raja over his recent comments where he threatened to boycott the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Raja, while speaking to the press on Friday, had said that the Pakistan team will not travel to India for the World Cup next year if the Men in Blue don't come to play the Asia Cup in Pakistan. Talking about Ramiz's remark, Kaneria said the PCB 'doesn't have the guts' to boycott an ICC event. He further stated that India will not mind if Pakistan decides not to take part in the World Cup. 

"The PCB doesn't have the guts to boycott the World Cup. On the other side, India doesn't mind if Pakistan doesn't participate in the event. They have a huge market that brings in a lot of money. PCB's decision not to attend the World Cup in India will have a significant impact on Pakistan," Kaneria said. 

"In the end, Pakistan will travel to India for the World Cup. Officials will claim that because of pressure from the ICC, they were left with no choice. If PCB officials repeatedly discuss skipping an ICC event, it will be very detrimental to the sport in Pakistan," the former Pakistan cricketer added. 

"There is still plenty of time left in Asia Cup. We can't be certain that the nation will be in order by then or whether the competition will take place on Pakistani soil or not. What the circumstances will be like at that time is unknown. In addition to India, it's also possible that teams like Bangladesh and Afghanistan may decide not to visit Pakistan. The Pakistani people want their nation to host the Asia Cup. But given the state of the country, you must continue to play it safe," he concluded. 

Why is PCB threatening to boycott World Cup?

Pakistan are unlikely to boycott the World Cup in India next year because if they do so, they will risk losing their share of revenue that is generated through the marquee event and distributed among the participating nations. Pakistan are scheduled to host the 50-over Asia Cup next year. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Jay Shah, who is also the secretary of the BCCI, had said last month that the Asia Cup may be shifted to some neutral venue because India won't travel to Pakistan. 

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