ICC top officials in Pakistan to secure World Cup 2023 participation

Senior International Cricket Council (ICC) officials will arrive in Lahore on Tuesday to secure Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming 2023 World Cup in India, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.

According to the foreign media, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will meet the Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, Najam Sethi, and other cricket officials during their two-day visit.

The sources said that the visit would be focused on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup. “The ultimate decision regarding Pakistan's involvement in the tournament rested with both countries involved, as well as the ICC's hierarchy.”

"Geoff Allardice, our CEO, and Greg will discuss a number of areas with the PCB hierarchy.

Bilateral cricket has been a casualty of the soured relations between India and Pakistan over the last decade and the neighbors play each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues.

India have declined to tour Pakistan for September's Asia Cup and want the entire tournament to be held in a neutral country, which has prompted a tit-for-tat response from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Given the tense relations between India and Pakistan, PCB head Najam Sethi suggested there is a "distinct possibility" that the Pakistan government will not allow Pakistan to travel to India. The World Cup schedule is to be announced soon although there continues to be uncertainty over Pakistan's participation in the tournament.

That arose when India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup to be held in September, and neither agreed to the PCB's proposed hybrid model that will see only four out of 13 Asia Cup matches to be played in Pakistan. As per that proposal, the remaining nine matches - including the final - will be played at a neutral venue.

Although Pakistan are officially the host of the tournament, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is yet to give a green signal for the tournament to be held as proposed by the PCB.

Barclay and Allardice's visit to Pakistan will be the first by high-ranked ICC officials since the then-president Ray Mali's visit in 2008. They will discuss a range of topics, including the ICC's finance model and deliberations around Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy in February 2025. It is understood that Barclay also visited India before his trip to Pakistan. 

Pakistan made it clear on several occasions that it will travel to India for ODI World Cup only if India is allowed to play the upcoming Asia Cup in Pakistan.