Won’t send team to India for 2021 World T20 if India skip 2020 Asia Cup, asserts PCB

Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stated that they are not going to send a team to India for the 2021 T20I World Cup if the latter refuses to take part in the 2020 Asia Cup scheduled later this year.

Test cricket finally returned to Pakistan after a gap of 10 years in December last year when Sri Lanka toured their sub-continental rivals for a two match series. With Bangladesh also touring Pakistan for a T20I series followed by a couple of Test matches, sunny days are back in the nation once again.

With the current political situation tension between the nations creating an adverse situation for the Indian team to step on Pakistan soil, PCB has clearly stated that they are going to do the same during the 2021 World T20I in India.

"If India doesn't come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, we would also refuse participation in the 2021 T20 World Cup there,” said Wasim Khan as reported by India Today.

On the other hand, rumours suggested that the PCB had handed over the hosting rights to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in return for sending their team to Pakistan for the ongoing tour. But, the PCB official brushed away such claims.

“The hosting rights have been given to us by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and we can’t just hand them over to anyone. We don’t have that authority,” added Khan.

India has not toured Pakistan since 2008 and neither have the both played a full bilateral series since 2007, which is a sign that the political tension has affected cricket in both the nations. Even though they have played in ICC events in neutral events, there are slim chances of playing a bilateral series in the near future.