ISLAMABAD: A spokesman insisted on Thursday that Pakistan Cricket Board was awaiting formal permission from its Patron-in-Chief to go ahead with its national team’s participation in next month’s Twenty20 World Cup in neighbouring India.
The PCB Spokesman was reacting to a report in an English-language daily that the Patron-in-Chief has given the national team “green signal” for participation in the event, to be played March 8-April 3.
It said the permission was given in response to letter of PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan, seeking permission from government on participation in the tournament.
The letter was written sometime back by the PCB Chairman “but there was (as yet) no reply to his letter”, the spokesman added.
“Therefore a few days back, Shaharyar sent a reminder to the PM Office seeking permission for participation in the event”.
Talking to media, the PCB spokesman said a formal reply from the Patron’s office is still eagerly awaited. “We have not received any response yet in this regard,” he said.
He said the Board required the permission in writing. The 2016 ICC World T20 is scheduled to be held in India from March 8 to April 3. The matches of the tournament will be spread over seven Indian cities. Pakistan would play its league matches in Kolkata, Dharamsala and Mohali, considered to be less under the influence of the extremist Hindu organisation Shiv Sena, which is reportedly opposed to India normalising relations with Pakistan.
