Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja made an explosive statement stating that no one would watch the upcoming ODI World Cup in India if Pakistan does not participate in it.
Yes, you read that right. Ramiz Raja also boasted that the Men in Green beat ‘Billion Dollar team’ India twice in the last year. Speaking to the Pakistani news channel — Urdu News, Pakistan chairman Ramiz Raja made a bold statement as he stated that no one would watch the upcoming ODI World Cup in India if Pakistan doesn’t participate in it. He said:
“If Pakistan doesn’t take part in the World Cup scheduled in India next year, who will watch it? We have a clear stand: If the Indian team comes here then we will go for the World Cup. If they don’t come then they can play the World Cup without us. We will adopt an aggressive approach.”
He added: “Our team is showing performance. I’ve always said we need to improve the economy of Pakistan cricket, and that can only happen when we perform well. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, we beat India. We beat India in the T20 Asia Cup. In one year, the Pakistan cricket team defeated a billion-dollar economy team twice.”
For the unversed, Ramiz Raja’s statement came after BCCI secretary Jay Shah made it clear that India will not travel to Pakistan for next year’s Asia Cup. Jay Shah had said that they would only participate in the tournament if it is held at a neutral venue. Jay Shah said:
“Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” Shah had said last month after BCCI’s 91st Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. “It’s the govt which decides over the permission of our team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue.”
Anurag Thakur Gave A Fitting Response To Ramiz Raja’s Statements
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to respond to Ramiz Raja’s statements, the Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has given a fitting response to PCB’s head. Anurag Thakur stated that Team India cannot be overlooked by anyone. Speaking to the news agency ANI, Thakur said:
“Wait for the right time. India is a major power in the world of sports & no country can overlook India,”
