ISLAMABAD 12 Mar (Online): Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari on Sunday termed politics the only impediment to the restoration of cricket between Pakistan and India.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview on tv channel, the PPP leader said the government was willing to indulge in \u201ccricket diplomacy\u201d with the arch-rival neighbour.<\/p>\n
Pakistan lacks a federal sports minister and sports-related matters fall under the domain of the inter-provincial coordination minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cSports should never be looked at through a political lens,\u201d he said, referring to India\u2019s baseball team that visited Pakistan recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Indian baseball team can visit Pakistan, why not the cricket team?\u201d Mazari asked. \u201cWe say that, \u2018India we are ready to play\u2019, but they are reluctant.\u201d<\/p>\n
He mentioned how foreign players are taking part in Pakistan Super League which reaffirms that security is not an issue here. \u201cPSL is being played in the country which also has players from abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reiterating that cricket between the two countries was not being played because of political issues; Mazari said India will be officially invited if the Pakistan Cricket Board asks to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the PCB chairman asks us, we can send a request through the Foreign Office,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n
He also questioned why then PCB chairman Ramiz Raja would move about in a bulletproof vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would foreign players come and play when the chairman of PCB himself roams around in a bulletproof vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
The minister also alleged that some players who were not deemed fit in the past were included in the team due to \u201cconnections\u201d.<\/p>\n
He also highlighted how the Pakistan Olympics Association Chairman retired Gen Arif Hassan was in the post for the past 20 years. \u201cHe has framed the constitution in such a way that only he remains the chairman,\u201d Mazari said.<\/p>\n
Talking about football, the PPP leader said the game was loved in Karachi\u2019s Lyari and Balochistan\u2019s Quetta. \u201cThe Argentinian ambassador told me he would bring female football coaches to train female players.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government so far has not given its go-ahead to the PCB for the national team\u2019s participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup being staged in India and has reserved its decision in this regard.<\/p>\n
The Asia Cup 50-over event is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in September, around a month before the 10-nation World Cup starts in India.
\nSources in the federal government and the PCB told that when the Board last week sought the government\u2019s permission for the World Cup participation, the government did not give its go-ahead and decided to wait till India\u2019s final decision regarding its participation in the six-team Asia Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t say that we are going to boycott the upcoming World Cup [in India]. However, the government so far has not given us any assurance or permission. The government, it seems, before taking any final decision, will wait for India\u2019s response regarding the Asia Cup,\u201d a source in the PCB said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD 12 Mar (Online): Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari on Sunday termed politics the only impediment to the restoration of cricket between Pakistan and India. In an exclusive interview on tv channel, the PPP leader said the government was willing to indulge in […]<\/p>\n
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