‘Pakistan cricket standing on match sticks…finding excuses’: Kamran Akmal on PCB’s World Cup venue change request

“It’s my request to board members, stop doing making such low-standard requests. The level of international cricket has advanced now. Players should be proud of their achievements, they should know what the fans and the board expect from them. You shouldn’t say such things and instead pull down the level of your cricket,” he further added.

Delving further, he said, ” Sometimes we ourselves do things that lower the image of our cricket. In 2018, the structure of our domestic cricket was changed. Have you seen anywhere in the world that the structure of domestic cricket changing? We had 18-20 teams, department cricket, regional cricket which were pillars of Pakistan cricket. They changed everything and now Pakistan cricket is left standing on match sticks. This is not the way to improve our cricket. ”

Among PCB’s request following the draft schedule being released were a venue swap for the Australia and Afghanistan game from Chennai and Bangalore – which was denied – and unwillingness to play at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, citing security issues. The latter was considered and while none of Pakistan’s league stage games will be played in Mumbai, the semifinal scheduled in the city will be moved to Eden Gardens, Kolkata if Pakistan qualify for the same.

1992 World Cup winner with Pakistan, Wasim Akram also spoke on the same lines. “There’s no issue with it. Pakistan will play wherever they are assigned to play. Simple. This unnecessary stress of ‘we won’t play in Ahmedabad’…you ask Pakistani players, they don’t care wherever their schedule comes,” Akram told reporters.

Earlier last month, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi had told The Indian Express, “When I heard that the Pakistan match was to be in Ahmedabad, I smiled and said to myself – ‘this is one way to make sure we don’t come to India’. I mean if you’d said Chennai or Kolkata, it might have made sense.”