Following the conclusion of the Asia Cup tie, Pakistan’s participation in this year’s World Cup in India still remains uncertain after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared that it must abide by the federal government’s instructions.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the foreign ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was of the view that “politics should not be mixed with sports”.“Pakistan is of the view that politics should not be mixed with sports. India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan is disappointing,” said Baloch.“We are observing and evaluating all aspects relating to our participation in the World Cup including the security situation for Pakistani cricketers and we will offer our views to PCB in due course,” she added.The World Cup dates and locations are still up in the air with just over three months till the tournament’s commencement since Pakistan’s participation in the mega event is still a matter of debate.Notably, India had already decided against travelling to Pakistan for this year’s Asia Cup and consequently, the PCB threatened to boycott the World Cup.The two cricket boards then gradually moved towards a compromise and as a result, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) accepted the PCB-proposed ‘hybrid model’, according to which Pakistan will host four matches of the continental event while the rest will be played in Sri Lanka.It is worth mentioning here that due to ongoing political tensions between Pakistan and India, the two sides have not competed in a bilateral series since 2012.