ISLAMABAD: The upcoming Cricket World Cup in India, scheduled for October and November, is facing significant hurdles due to regional strategic entanglements.
Delays in finalizing the details of the event have given cricket lovers jitters, as the dates and venues for the tournament have not been announced yet, in stark contrast to the usual practice for major sporting events.
The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has previously co-hosted three ODI World Cups, and organizing the 10-team event should present no major difficulties for the world’s richest board.
However, the geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan have complicated matters. Conflicting political relations between the two countries have caused cricket to become caught in the crossfire, as the two nations only play each other in multi-team events.
India refuses to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup
India has ruled out traveling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, and the matches will likely be played at a neutral venue after organizers agreed on a hybrid model.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refuted media reports that the cricket board had made a similar demand at the ICC board meetings in Dubai last month. However, PCB said it might push for the hybrid model at the ICC forum at the right time.
If Pakistan agrees to travel to India, the Indian cricket board would have to secure visa clearance from the Indian government. However, moving matches out of India has not even been discussed, and the fixtures will be announced in due course.
The Indian cricket board has yet to obtain a tax exemption for the tournament from the Indian government, which is part of the hosting agreement it signed with the ICC.
If it fails to obtain the exemption, the BCCI has said the amount could be deducted from its share of the International Cricket Council’s central revenue pool.
Despite these setbacks, the BCCI is confident that the forthcoming event will be memorable. It is not clear so far whether Pakistan will agree to play in it.
However, it is reported that the Men’s World Cup will start on 5 October, with the final match scheduled at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on 19 November.
As the Cricket World Cup approaches, the uncertainty and political tensions between India and Pakistan continue to pose challenges to the tournament’s smooth organization, making cricket lovers across the subcontinent nervous about the fate of the most coveted championship in the region.
