No Clarity Over Pakistan Players' Participation In Asia XI vs World XI Clash In Ahmedabad

The fans could see as many as three T20 matches between Asia XI and World XI in March next year. While two of those games will be hosted by Bangladesh cricket Board (BCB) in Dhaka, the other one will be hosted by BCCI in Ahmedabad. Both the boards are set to approach the International Cricket Council sooner rather than later in order to get international status for the games.

BCB will host the series to mark the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The series will likely to have players from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Asia XI side. India, on the other hand, are hosting the game to mark the opening of the Motera Stadium, which will be the largest cricket stadium in the world.

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Confusion over Pakistan players’ participation:

While players from Pakistan are more than likely to play the two games in Bangladesh, there is a big question mark over their availability in India. As of now, Pakistan players are not allowed to be in India for bilateral series. The rule changes if it’s part of a global event. Recently, the Indian Davis Cup team refused to play in Pakistan and the tie was held in a neutral venue.

India have suspended all the bilateral ties with Pakistan in the wake of cross-border terrorism. Both the teams last met in 2012 when Pakistan visited India for a short limited-overs series. Since then, the arch-rivals have only played in ICC tournaments or the Asia Cup. And it will now be interesting to see whether the Pakistan players play in Ahmedabad or not.

According to The New Indian Express, the chances of Pakistani players performing in Ahmedabad are remote. As of the now, the BCCI is still to decide whether to approach the government on this. There is also no clarity with regards to whether the Ahmedabad T20 will be part of the centenary celebrations. “

“Since the BCCI will be hosting the third match, there is no need to have continuity. Since India would have completed the ODIs against South Africa, the initial plan was to send five players to Bangladesh depending upon workload. For the match in Ahmedabad, we can make changes, but the understanding is the core of Asia XI and World XI remains the same,” an official told the news outlet.

“The BCB wants it to be a three-match series including the one in Ahmedabad. We have to see how we go about it since GCA wants to make it their occasion. Things will get clear in the coming weeks. The schedule has to be worked out because there is a clash. But luckily, the ODI is in Kolkata and players won’t take much time to reach Dhaka,” the official added.

Given the Indian government’s tough stance in recent times, it would not be baffling at all if they do not give the Pakistan players the permission to play in Ahmedabad. But then again, the T20 game is not a part of the bilateral series and Pakistan players could travel to India for the star-studded clash.