There has been great anticipation surrounding the forthcoming ICC World T20 which is scheduled to be played in October 2020 in Australia.
While teams are preparing for the showpiece tournament, Asian countries will take the T20 Asia Cup as the final preparatory step for the T20 World Cup, however, with Pakistan having the hosting rights for the Asia Cup, India’s participation in the tournament has been under dark clouds.
Chief Executive of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wasim Khan has now said that Pakistan will refuse to participate in the 2021 T20 World Cup scheduled to be hosted by India if the Men in Blue don’t come to Pakistan for the tournament.
Khan also dismissed the reports that Pakitan has given up the hosting rights of the T20 Asia Cup in return for Bangladesh playing a full-fledged series on Pakistan soil. Earlier, there were reports that suggested that the PCB has passed on their rights to host the T20 Asia Cup to Bangladesh after the latter agreed to tour Pakistan for a full-fledged series.
“It is not the prerogative of the PCB or the ICC to change the host as it was the decision of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC),” Wasim was quoted as saying by The Dawn.
“We are currently considering two venues to host the Asia Cup. If India doesn’t come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, we would also refuse participation in the 2021 T20 World Cup there,” added Khan.
Earlier, it was reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t softened up its take on not playing cricket on Pakistani soil which resulted in Pakistan losing the hosting rights for the T20 Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played in September 2020 ahead of the ICC World T20.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have successfully hosted Sri Lanka in a T20I and Test series before starting their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh on January 24. Bangladesh will play three T20Is, two Tests and one-off ODI against Pakistan in three phases.
