The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will write to the ICC seeking foolproof security assurances for the team during their World Cup campaign in India in October-November, sources told The Telegraph.
This was decided during a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Thursday of the Bilawal Bhutto-headed committee, appointed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to look into their participation in the World Cup.
Besides Bhutto, Pakistan’s foreign minister, the committee includes sports minister Ahsan Mazari, information minister Mariyum Aurangzeb, Asad Mahmood, Qamar Zaman Kaira, adviser to the PM on Kashmir affairs, and former diplomat Tariq Fatmi.
A high-level delegation is also expected to visit India during the last week of this month to assess the security issues at the five venues where Pakistan are expected to play their matches.
Zaka Ashraf, the PCB management committee chairman, was also present during Thursday’s meeting. Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup will be decided based on the clearance given by the committee.
The committee members were divided on Pakistan’s proposed visit with some expressing strong reservations citing security concerns. India not touring Pakistan for the forthcoming Asia Cup was also discussed.
The PCB had earlier reportedly agreed to a change of dates for the big ticket India-Pakistan contest in Ahmedabad, which was originally scheduled for October 15, which incidentally is also the first day of Navratri. It will now be held on October 14.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, however, said last week that several Boards had requested for a tweak in the schedule.
Pakistan’s preceding fixture will also be impacted because of the change. Their match against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad will be played on October 10, instead of October 12, allowing Pakistan a sufficient gap between the two matches.
