ODI World Cup 2023: Bilawal Bhutto-headed panel to meet on Thursday to decide Pakistan's participation

The consulting panel appointed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is all set to meet on Thursday, August 3 as they will discuss the team’s participation in the upcoming ODI World Cup. The panel headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto will decide on the team’s involvement in the showpiece event with little over two months to go. While there are no clear indications on whether they will give the green light to the team, it is anticipated that the Pakistan cricket team will travel to India for the World Cup that kick starts on October 5.

Pakistan committee to meet on Thursday

"A high-profile meeting will decide on the World Cup participation," a top PCB official told Cricbuzz on Tuesday evening without divulging the details.

The committee includes Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari, Maryam Aurangzeb, Asad Mahmood, Amin ul Haq, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Tariq Fatmi, a former diplomat.

According to the report, Pakistan’s interim committee will ask the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to pay a visit to all the venues their team is scheduledto play at. Pakistan has security concerns for its cricket team and is yet to decide on the team’s participation in the tournament.

Interestingly, Pakistan’s Football team was in India in June and July for the SAFF Championships while their Hockey team traveled to India on Tuesday. No security issues were flagged for the two teams, despite this the interim committee has been delaying giving the green signal to the team’s participation in the tournament. Currently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is non-functional as the elections have been postponed multiple times, which led to the foundation of the committee.

BCCI, ICC work on rescheduling

Meanwhile, the BCCI and the ICC are working on rescheduling the India vs Pakistan contest in Ahmedabad. The contest could face a lack of security measures as it coincides with the Hindu festival of Navratri. The BCCI wants to avoid any potential securityrisk and could soon announce a new date for the fixture with other possible changes to the tournament schedule.

Earlier, Pakistan’s demands of switching the venue for the clashes against Australia and Afghanistan were turned down by the BCCI and the ICC. They will start their World Cup campaign against Qualifiers Netherlands on October 6 and then Sri Lanka before they face India.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE