Players from India and Pakistan are least likely to play together in an assembled Asian XI team that will take on World XI in the two T20I matches with official status according to BCCI joint secretary Jayesh George. The matches are set to take place in Bangladesh but with India and Pakistan players unlikely to play together, the series will lose some interest.
The matches are scheduled for March 2020 as a part of celebrations to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman, Bangladesh’s father of nation. BCCI have said that they can release upto five players for the matches.
“There were some discussions in this regard during the Pink Ball Test in Kolkata. It looks unlikely that India and Pakistan players will feature in the same Asian XI team. It will depend on Sourav as he will have discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” George said at the time.
“We have proved Pakistan is safe, if someone isn’t coming then they should prove that it’s unsafe. At this time, India is a far greater security risk than Pakistan,” Ehsan Mani told reporters in Karachi.
“No one should now doubt security arrangements in Pakistan after successful Sri Lanka Test series. This is a turning point for revival of Test cricket in Pakistan. Media and fans played an important role in portraying positive image of Pakistan worldwide,” Mani had said recently.