Mohsin Naqvi Confirms Pakistan's T20 World Cup Participation? 'Team Booked To Fly Out To Colombo..'

Amid ongoing uncertainty regarding their participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan cricket team is set to depart for Colombo on Monday. By that time, the country’s cricket chief is expected to make a final decision.

“Despite the uncertainty over participation in the World Cup, the Pakistan team is booked to fly out to Colombo with the Australian team via Air Lanka from Lahore,” Telecom Asia Sport quoted sources as saying.

“We hope that by Friday, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi will have cleared the team’s participation in the mega event,” the source added.

Naqvi has cast doubt on Pakistan’s participation in the Twenty20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. PCB’s stance is in show of solidarity

over Bangladesh’s expulsion from the event.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) expelled Bangladesh from the marquee tournament after Bangladesh Cricket Board requested to relocate their matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns. The request was turned down but BCB remained adamant at not playing in India despite ICC offering assurances having conducted independent security assessment.

On Monday, Naqvi met with Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad to seek his advice on sending the team. According to sources, PM Sharif supported the PCB’s stance in backing Bangladesh but recommended not boycotting the World Cup to avoid financial repercussions.

“Naqvi also consulted President Asif Zardari and military leaders before meeting former PCB chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja, who also supported sending the team to Sri Lanka. They advised against boycotting the India game,” the sources added.

Pakistan is also scheduled to play Australia in a three-match T20I series starting in Lahore on Thursday.

“All players have been instructed to remain positive about participating in the World Cup. Some players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have brought all their luggage from home, anticipating they will be out of the country for over a month.”

With Agencies Inputs