Tickets booked, decision pending: Pakistan plan T20 World Cup departure amid boycott cloud — Report

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup plans have taken a dramatic turn, with the team already booked to fly out to Colombo on Monday even as uncertainty continues over their participation in the tournament, scheduled from February 7 to March 8. According to a report, the final call is expected before the team boards the flight.

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“Despite the uncertainty over the participation in the World Cup, Pakistan team is booked with Australian team to fly out to Colombo via an Air Lanka flight from Lahore,” sources told Telecom Asia Sport. The same sources added that clarity is imminent. “We hope that by Friday the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi will have cleared the team's participation in the mega event.”




Naqvi had earlier thrown Pakistan’s participation into doubt after the International Cricket Council rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request to shift their World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka over security concerns. In protest against Bangladesh’s expulsion from the event, the PCB chief raised the possibility of Pakistan staying away.

Naqvi had also met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad earlier this week to seek guidance. Sources told Telecomasia.net that while the Prime Minister backed Pakistan’s stance of supporting Bangladesh, he also advised against a boycott due to potential financial repercussions.


“Naqvi also took advice from President Asif Zardari and from the military establishment before meeting former PCB chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja,” sources told Telecom Asia Sport, adding that both former chiefs supported sending the team to Sri Lanka and “also advised not to boycott the India game.”

Amid the political and administrative uncertainty, preparations on the ground continue. Pakistan are set to face Australia in a three-match T20I series starting Thursday in Lahore, with players asked to stay focused.

“All the players have been told that they must remain in a positive mood as far as participation in the World Cup is concerned,” a source said. “Some players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have even brought all their luggage, keeping in mind they could be out of the country for more than a month.”


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