PCB to send security team to assess five World Cup venues in India

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared its official stance on the ODI World Cup 2023 schedule unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

The PCB spokesperson emphasized that the team's participation in the tournament is subject to government clearance.

“The board requires the Government of Pakistan’s clearance for any tour to India, including the match venues,” PCB spokesperson said. “We are liaising with our government for guidance, and as soon as we hear something from them, we will update the Event Authority [ICC]. This position is consistent to what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback.”

While the PCB has initiated the process of involving the government to obtain the necessary permissions for their participation in the tournament, they may also engage with the ICC regarding the venues, not limited to the match against the hosts, India, as reported by the Indian Express.

The report mentioned that PCB is contemplating sending a security team to the five venues (Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata) where the Pakistan team is scheduled to play matches during the World Cup.

The timeline for this exercise has not been established and will depend on the government's response. It is customary for some teams to conduct such security assessments before major events. Notably, a security team report from Pakistan influenced the ICC's decision to move the 2016 World T20 match against India from Dharamsala to Kolkata.

In a statement issued during that incident, the PCB expressed its approval of the ICC's decision to relocate the Pakistan versus India match. The PCB had earlier informed the ICC and BCCI about its reservations regarding playing in Dharamsala, based on recommendations from Pakistan's security delegation that had visited India at the time.