Pakistan left for Sri Lanka on Monday to begin their World Cup campaign (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for urging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider its decision to boycott a high-profile group match against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The mega event will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.Pakistan left for Sri Lanka on Monday to begin their World Cup campaign and are currently awaiting any action by the ICC following their refusal to play India in the tournament. While India is co-hosting the event, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka – including all knockout matches – due to ongoing political tensions between the two neighbours.
T20 World Cup: Squads, Complete Schedule, Venues & Key Details Explained
The situation escalated on Sunday when the Pakistan government ordered the team to participate in the World Cup but boycott the February 15 group match against India in Colombo. The tournament begins on Saturday with Pakistan set to open their campaign against the Netherlands. Cricket relations between India and Pakistan remained strained, with political issues often spilling over onto the field. During last year’s Asia Cup in the UAE, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in three matches including the final. India also left without collecting the trophy after refusing to accept it from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.With the PCB yet to formally communicate its stance to the ICC, Akmal urged the board to remain firm.“PCB should not back down! ICC told Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stand on boycott of India game. Did ICC sleep when Asia Cup was played in hybrid model? Did ICC sleep when India said it will not play Champions Trophy in Pakistan and will only play at neutral venue? How many times has Pakistan played India despite heightened tension between the two countries.” Akmal said on YouTube channel ‘Game Plan’.Akmal further questioned the ICC’s consistency in dealing with political sensitivities in international cricket.“The two countries haven’t played bilateral series for years. Wasn’t that politics too? Shouldn’t the ICC have considered ending the policy? PCB’s decision should be respected, just as we respected India’s decision to play in the hybrid model. Things have reached such extreme levels. They refused to shake hands with our players at the Asia Cup, then refused to accept ACC chief Mohs from us!”Following the Pakistan government’s announcement, the ICC issued a statement that it was still awaiting an official communication from the PCB.“While the ICC awaits an official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the basic premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms as per the schedule of the event,” the ICC said in a statement.“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 affect the global cricket ecosystem of which it is a member and beneficiary… The ICC expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable solution that will protect the interests of all parties involved.”
