Anurag Thakur, the Minister of the Union for Sports, has stated that India is a great power in the world of sports, and that no other nation can ignore the country.
He was responding to a question on the comments made by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, who stated that Pakistan would not participate in the 2023 World Cup that would be held by India if India did not come for the Asia Cup.
“Hold tight and wait until the appropriate moment. India is a huge force to be reckoned with in the world of sports, and no nation can afford to ignore it “Anurag Thakur stated.
Raja recently maintained that if the Indian cricket team does not participate in the Asia Cup, which is going to be hosted in Pakistan the following year, then their squad will also not play in the ICC One-Day International World Cup, which is going to be held in India.
“We have a very straightforward attitude, which is that if they (the Indian squad) come, then we will go to the World Cup, but if they don’t come, then they should do it themselves. Let them compete without taking into into Pakistan.
Who will watch the World Cup if Pakistan does not compete in the tournament that is slated to take place in India the following year? We will take a more aggressive stance, our squad is performing well, we have triumphed over the cricket team with the most revenue-generating potential in the world, and we have competed in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup.
I have always said that we need to strengthen the economy of Pakistan cricket, and the only way that will happen is if our team performs well. Fortunately, we were able to accomplish this goal in the 2021 World Twenty20.
We defeated India in the Asia Cup, and the Pakistan cricket team has now triumphed over the country with the billion-dollar GDP twice in a single calendar year “Urdu News cited what Ramiz Raja had to say about the matter.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had mentioned earlier in October that the 2023 Asia Cup, which was initially scheduled to take place in Pakistan, might instead take place in a venue that is not affiliated with either country.
After Shah’s comments on holding the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement saying that it can have an effect on Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC One-Day International World Cup 2023.
“The overall impact of such statements has the potential to split the Asian and international cricketing communities and can impact Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and future ICC Events in India in the 2024-2031 cycle,” the PCB had said back then. “The overall impact of such statements has the potential to split the Asian and international cricketing communities.”
Thakur has already stated that India will host the 2023 World Cup with all teams after the PCB had made its announcement. “The BCCI is responsible for handling the situation in an efficient manner as it is an internal affair. While we have hosted a number of international competitions in the past, we have not committed any errors.
We had previously hosted the World Cup, and it was a happy and successful experience for all of the teams. The next year, we would be in charge of hosting the tournament, and all teams will participate “In the month of October, Anurag Thakur had added.
Roger Binny, the President of the BCCI, stated that the board will rely on the decision made by the government over whether or not to go Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023.
“That is not up to us to decide. We are unable to divulge the destination that awaits our squad. In the event that either we leave the country or visitors from other countries come here, we are required to obtain permission from the government. We are unable to make that choice on our own; rather, we are required to consult with the government “Binny had added.
The most prestigious cricketing competition will be held in India for the very first time on the subcontinent for the entire year of 2023. It shared hosting duties with Pakistan for the World Cup in 1987 and again in 1996, along with Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
In 2011, India once again played a role in the organisation of the tournament, this time as a co-host alongside Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In the 2011 round of the competition, India was also successful and took home the trophy.