ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry says it is “evaluating all aspects” of the country’s participation in this year’s 50-overs ICC World Cup in India with bilateral cricket stalled between the South Asian neighbours due to soured political relations.

The two countries have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade and doubts remain over Pakistan’s involvement in the World Cup scheduled for October-November.

Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was among the foreign ministers who travelled to India’s Goa last month for a Shanghai Cooperation Organi­sation meeting, becoming the first senior Pakistani lea­der to visit India in nine years.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was of the view that “politics should not be mixed with sports”.

“India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan is disappointing,” Baloch said in Islamabad on Thursday.

“We are observing and evaluating all aspects relating to our participation in the World Cup including the security situation for [the] Pakistan cricketers and we will offer our views to the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board] in due course.”

Doubts over Pakistan’s participation has meant that the dates and venues for the World Cup are yet to be confirmed with just over three months left before the start of the tournament.

India has already ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the 50-over Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on Aug 31. In response, Pakistan threatened to boycott the World Cup if they lose the hosting rights to the Asia Cup.

Looking for a compromise, the Asian Cricket Council said the continental event will be hosted in a ‘hybrid model’, proposed by the PCB under Najam Sathi as an alternative due to India’s refusal to tour Pakistan, with four matches to be held in Pakistan and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023