No World Cup 2019 fixture is under threat: ICC official

Published February 23, 2019
Pakistan and India are set to clash on June 16  at the cricket World Cup 2019.
Pakistan and India are set to clash on June 16 at the cricket World Cup 2019.

Pakistan's World Cup 2019 clash with India is not under threat and is expected to go ahead as planned, according to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) General Manager Strategic Communications, Claire Furlong.

The blockbuster June 16 fixture between the two neighbours had faced uncertainty in the aftermath of last week's Pulwama incident as reports emerged that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may try and get Pakistan banned from the tournament or refuse to play that specific fixture.

When it appeared that there was no constitutional or contractual way for Pakistan to be kept away from the summer tournament, the Indian board on Friday wrote to the ICC, urging "the cricket community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates" — a move that did not faze the PCB.

ICC GM Furlong commented on the BCCI letter in an interview with DawnNewsTV, saying that "there is no indication that any matches at the men’s Cricket World Cup will not go ahead as planned.

"Sport, in particular cricket, has the wonderful ability to bring people together and unite communities and we will work with our members going forward on this basis."

Furlong further said that the ICC is "likely to discuss this at the ICC Board meetings this week and we will be monitoring the situation with our members".

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