Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif forms committee to decide on ODI World Cup India trip

• Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee, chaired by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to decide on the national cricket team's travel to India for the ODI World Cup

• The committee will assess Pakistan-India relations and the government's policy of separating sports and policy

• Pakistan's participation in the tournament is subject to government approval, while the ICC and BCCI have already declared the World Cup schedule and expect Pakistan's presence

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a high-profile committee to determine the national cricket team's travel to India for the upcoming ODI World Cup.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will chair the committee, which aims to recommend Pakistan's travel plans to their neighboring country. Sharif will then approve the team's participation based on the committee's recommendations. As the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), his involvement in the decision-making process is crucial.

The PCB had recently sent a letter to the Pakistani government seeking permission for the team to travel to India and inquiring about any concerns regarding the five venues where Pakistan is scheduled to play their matches: Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. The board also inquired whether the government wanted to send a security delegation to India prior to the tournament.

The committee's primary focus will be Pakistan's travel to Ahmedabad for their highly anticipated match against India on October 15. The committee comprises representatives from various political parties in Pakistan, including Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, alongside Tariq Fatemi, the special assistant on foreign affairs to Sharif. This diverse representation ensures that even if there is a change in power, the decision regarding Pakistan's participation remains consistent.

While the PCB has traditionally consulted with the foreign ministry before traveling to India, the establishment of this committee indicates a tougher stance on the issue this time. Pakistan's participation in the tournament is contingent upon the approval of their government.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have already announced the ODI World Cup schedule and expect Pakistan to travel to India for the tournament, commencing on October 5.

The committee, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will thoroughly evaluate Pakistan-India relations and consider the government's policy of separating sports and policy.