NEW DELHI: Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari wants India to play their Asia Cup matches in Pakistan.

As the head of the IPC ministry, which oversees the country’s sports at the federal level, Mazari has been appointed as one of the members of a high-profile committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to contemplate over the Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming World Cup in India.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka a month before the World Cup starts.

Originally, however, Pakistan was awarded the rights to host the regional tournament in its entirety but India’s refusal to play in the country forced its cricket board to settle with a “hybrid model” that would see it hold four matches at home before the tournament moves to Sri Lanka, where India will feature.

Mazari, while reiterating his “personal” stance against the model, believed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should continue its pursuit for its rights as the only hosts of the Asia Cup adding that India should travel across the border instead.

He hinted discussions regarding the demand can take place in the upcoming ICC meeting, to attend which the PCB’s newly-appointed interim Management Committee chairman Zaka Ashraf has flown to Durban, South Africa.

“India should play in Pakistan,” Mazari was quoted as saying by the Indian Express on Sunday. “Zaka Ashraf has gone to South Africa and so let’s see what is decided and what happens.

“Pakistan is the host, it has the right to hold all the matches in Pakistan. That is what the cricket lovers want; I don’t want a hybrid model.”

For Mazari, India’s reservations over travelling to Pakistan citing security concerns were uncalled for and the minister said the former had no “solid argument” to not play in the country.

“The New Zealand team was here, before that the England cricket team was in Pakistan,” he observed. “They got presidential security.

“Earlier, the Indian team was given a hearty welcome by the fans here.

“Security is an excuse. We also held the Pakistan Super League (PSL) that had so many foreign players.”

While the Asian Cricket Council has already announced the Asia Cup’s dates and that it will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the tournament’s schedule is yet to be released.

During Najam Sethi’s tenure as the Management Committee’s chairman — who proposed the “hybrid model” in the first place — the PCB had threatened to withdraw the national side from the World Cup had India not accepted the model.

The Sethi-led PCB, however, relaxed the stance after the model was accepted. With Zaka in charge now, Mazari hinted that the board may consider going back to the previous approach.

“My personal opinion, since the Pakistan Cricket Board comes under my ministry, is that if India demands to play their Asia Cup games at a neutral venue, we would also demand the same for our World Cup games in India,” he said.

The high-profile committee set to decide over Pakistan’s World Cup fate will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and its recommendations will be reviewed by Shehbaz himself before the premier makes the final call. Mazari said he would voice his take in front of the committee members.

“The committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and I am among the 11 ministers who are part of it,” he said. “We will discuss the issue and give our recommendations to the PM, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The PM will take the final decision.”

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2023