ICC officials to discuss Pakistan's participation in World Cup with PCB

The International Cricket Council's top officials will arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss the country’s participation in this year’s 50-over World Cup in India.

The tense political relations between the two neighboring countries has seen both nations suspending their bilateral cricketing ties for a decade, but they have regularly competed in the ICC events.

ICC chairman Greg Barclay and chief executive Geoff Allardice will arrive in Lahore for a two-day visit during which they will meet Pakistan Cricket Board management committee chairman Najam Sethi and other PCB officials.

India has already declined to tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September which has not gone down well with the PCB. Sethi has proposed a hybrid model to the Asian Cricket Council in which Pakistan would host only four games, not featuring India, while the rest of the tournament will be organized at a neutral venue.

ICC general manager Wasim Khan told a virtual video conference on Monday that Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India is “something that’s obviously ongoing at the moment.”

“Geoff Allardice, our CEO, and Greg … will be discussing a number of areas with the PCB hierarchy,” Khan said. “But that’s certainly up to the two countries and the hierarchy within the ICC to discuss them and come to some conclusions.”

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Jay Shah, is also the present chairman of the ACC, which has not yet decided the schedule and venues for the Asia Cup. The two groups for the six-nation tournament have already been announced, with Nepal, Pakistan and India placed in one group and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the other.

The schedule of the World Cup is expected to be announced during the World Test Championship between India and Australia, starting at the Oval in England from June 7.

Image: ICC