‘Ab to mat hi aao bhai’ – Twitter reacts as Pakistan’s Sports Minister suggests Pakistan to not travel to India for ODI World Cup 2023

As the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023 come closer, Pakistan’s dilemma on whether to participate or not grows stronger. So far the Pakistan Cricket Board has come up with a myriad of announcements wherein they have claimed to agree to visit India. They have however on many occasions also claimed to not visit India if the Men in Blue do not come to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023.

There is no clear-cut decision from the PCB about traveling to India for the ODI World Cup 2023 yet. Recently, Pakistan’s sports Minister Ehsaan Mazari has stirred the hornet’s nest yet again by suggesting that Pakistan should not travel to India and the decision would depend on Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif.

“My personal opinion since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) comes under my ministry is that if India demands to play their Asia Cup games at a neutral venue, we would also demand the same for our World Cup games in India,” he told Indian Express.

He went on to say that the final decision would be taken by PM and the Foreign Minster Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “We will discuss the issue and give our recommendations to the PM, who is also the patron-in-chief of PCB. The PM will take the final decision,” said Mazari.

Mazari was also puzzled at India’s decision to not play in Pakistan. “India brings sports into politics. I don’t understand why the Indian government doesn’t want to send their cricket team here. Some time back, a huge baseball contingent from India was in Islamabad to play. There was also the bridge team that had travelled to Pakistan. There were around 60-plus people; I was the chief guest of the event. They won here and left. Pakistan’s football, hockey, and chess teams also travel to India,” Mazari said.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: 

If Pakistan has even a little self-respect left, then the Pakistani government should not send the Pakistan team to India for the World Cup.

— Narendra Modi fan (@narendramodi177) July 9, 2023

https://twitter.com/dikhhat_hai_/status/1677919554603831299

Matt aao

— Ishaan Meet (@ishaanmeet) July 9, 2023

Pak can play all their matches at home with Zimbabwe.

— Deepak-JSR (@Deepak_D1105) July 9, 2023

It's now becoming a daily routine for them(our neighbour's sports personalities/ministers) to give such random baseless statements. At first, it was really funny, now it's getting annoying man. #WorldCup2023 #AsiaCup2023 #INDvPAK #CricketTwitter

— Rajesh↙️ (@iamrajeshjena) July 9, 2023

pic.twitter.com/OWnYcNio5m

— Թɾɑʍօժ_18 (@pra_1834) July 9, 2023

https://twitter.com/Bhardwaj_vish/status/1677921090490843136

https://twitter.com/Debasis00128879/status/1677920088324972545

India and Pakistan are scheduled to play their first match against each other on 15th October 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Asia Cup 2023 meanwhile is scheduled to be held from August 31st to September 17th.