In recent years, the Pakistan cricket team has played matches in Kolkata, Mohali, and Bengaluru during the World Cup held in India. They have even played T20 and ODI matches in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi during the 2012-13 series. The situation between both countries has always been delicate, then and now. However, on the cricket field, politicians from both nations have often resorted to cricket diplomacy. But this time, Pakistan has prepared a game plan for the upcoming World Cup in India, aiming to showcase the challenging atmosphere they face there.
Zaka Ashraf, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, sought permission from the government to participate in this World Cup. In response, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif formed a large committee comprising his cabinet members and high-ranking diplomats. The committee will assess whether Pakistan should travel to India or not. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Foreign Minister, is heading the committee. The committee includes Ahsan Majid, the Sports Minister; Azam Nazeer, the Law Minister; Maryam Aurangzeb, the Information and Broadcasting Minister; Asad Mahmood, the Minister of IT and Telecommunication; Amin ul Haque, the Adviser on Kashmir Affairs; and high-profile officials from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, such as Tariq Fatmi. Fatmi is an adviser on foreign affairs to the Prime Minister. The question arises whether Pakistan is attempting to explain to the world that the situation in India is not favorable for them, essentially blaming the thief instead of the police.
In reality, Pakistan is troubled by India’s increasing influence among the 20 countries. They are perturbed by President Biden’s warm welcome to Prime Minister Modi at the White House, addressing his U.S. Congress, and the summit meeting held between the two leaders. In that meeting, a joint statement was issued demanding action against terrorists in their respective countries. Before that, Pakistan felt isolated when Article 370 was abrogated in Kashmir and the Indian government announced plans to turn Srinagar into a “smart city.” Pakistan is also bothered that despite its consistent support for Islam, Turkish President Erdogan referred to Modi as the world’s greatest leader while denying an invitation to Shahbaz Sharif to visit Turkey. It is evident that Pakistan is increasingly agitated, and they are leaving no stone unturned to tarnish India’s reputation through cricket. According to sources, a high-level security delegation from Pakistan’s government is also willing to visit India and report to the government about the hosting venues and cities for Pakistan’s matches. The Pakistan team will spend most of its time in Hyderabad, where they will play matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, apart from two warm-up matches. In addition, Pakistan has matches scheduled against India in Ahmedabad, Australia and New Zealand in Bangalore, Bangladesh and England in Kolkata, and Afghanistan and South Africa in Chennai. If the team reaches the semifinals, they will play in Kolkata, and if they reach the finals, they will play in Ahmedabad. Currently, PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and CEO Salman Taseer are planning to attend an ICC meeting in Durban, where they want to convey the message that Pakistan does not intend to participate in either the Asia Cup or the 2025 Champions Trophy, both of which are scheduled in India. The ICC is well aware of Pakistan’s every move, but their focus is on the World Cup match between India and Pakistan, where they anticipate earning revenue of at least 5 billion rupees. Pakistan wants to leverage this opportunity to its advantage.