The Asia Cup, which was planned to be held in Pakistan this year before the ODI World Cup in India, will likely take place someplace in a neutral location in 2023 instead of Pakistan. India, meanwhile, continues to stand by its stance that it will not visit Pakistan. There have been various media reports asserting that the Men in Green will not travel to India for the ODI World Cup, which will take place in October-November, in retribution to India’s refusal to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023.
Later, it became known that the Pakistan Cricket Board had altered its stance and would only visit India if their World Cup matches were conducted at a neutral venue or could only be played in a select few locales, with Kolkata and Chennai being the most likely options.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
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After Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said during the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa that “Sports should be kept separated from politics and foreign policy,” the likelihood of the Babar Azam-led team visiting India is more of a realistic expectation than a hopeful one.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to formally declare Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India, despite the fact that many cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the publication of the tournament’s schedule.
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2011 ODI World Cup
Notably, during the 2011 ODI World Cup, Pakistan only played one match in India. 2011’s ODI World Cup was held in Asia, with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India serving as the tournament’s hosts. Pakistan only participated in one game in India, which was the semifinal game against India. In Mohali’s IS Bindra Stadium, home of the Punjab Cricket Association, the match was played. The Prime Ministers of both countries attended the intense encounter between the two bitter rivals. Both former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani were present at the game. India overcame Pakistan in the game to advance to the finals, when they defeated Sri Lanka in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. After a 28-year wait since Kapil Dev lifted the trophy in 1983 by upsetting the tournament favorites West Indies in the final, India finally won the ODI World Cup in 2011.
The Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan in 2025. Pakistan may find it advantageous to travel to India this year if they use it as a means of persuading India to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. It will be difficult for the Indian team to refuse to travel or play their matches outside of Pakistan because the Champions Trophy is an ICC event.
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