Ehsaan Mazari Pakistan's minister in-charge of sports has said that his country will withdraw from the 2023 World Cup if India avoids travelling across the border for the Asia Cup.
"My personal opinion, since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) 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," Mazari told The Indian Express.
The statement came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-profile committee to dwell on the issue of the country's participation in the October-November World Cup that India is hosting.
"The committee will be headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and I am among the 11 ministers who are part of it. 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."
According to the minister India brings sports into politics, "India brings sports into politics. I don't understand why the Indian government doesn't want to send their cricket team here. Some time back a huge baseball contingent from India was in Islamabad to play. There was also the bridge team that had travelled to Pakistan. There were around 60 plus people, I was the chief guest of the event. They won here and left. Pakistan's football, hockey and chess teams also travel to India," Mazari said.
