"If India Don't Come...": Ramiz Raja Confirms Plans For ODI World Cup 2023

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja has insisted that if the Indian cricket team doesn't take part in the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year, their team will also not play in the ICC ODI World Cup in India. Notably, the 2023 Asia Cup will be held before the ODI World Cup next year. Ramiz highlighted the fact that Pakistan have been playing quality cricket over the past two years, and also defeated India twice (T20 World Cup 2021 and Asia Cup 2022). Ramiz said that PCB's stand is firm on the matter, if India decide not to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.

"Our position is blunt that if they (Indian team) come then we will go to the World Cup, if they don't come then let them do it. Let them play without Pakistan. If Pakistan does not participate in the World Cup scheduled in India next year, who will see it? We will adopt an aggressive approach, our team is showing performance, we have defeated the biggest business-making cricket team in the world, we have played the final of the T20 World Cup. I have always said that we have to improve the economy of Pakistan cricket and that will only happen when our team performs well, we have done it in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Beat India, we beat India in the Asia Cup, Pakistan cricket team has beaten the board of billion dollar economy twice in one year," Ramiz Raja was quoted as saying by Urdu News.

Notably, Pakistan last hosted a multi-nation event in 2009 (Asia Cup).

Teams from around the world stopped touring the nation after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team, outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, in 2009.

International cricket returned to Pakistan when Zimbabwe toured the country for a three-match ODI series in 2015.

Sri Lanka, too, lended a helping hand in 2017, touring Pakistan only for a solitary ODI.

Since then, several teams have toured Pakistan, including Australia earlier this year. 

England will be in Pakistan next month to play three Tests, starting December 1.

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team India Cricket Team BCCI Pakistan Cricket Board Ramiz Raja Cricket