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A Pakistani journalist raised the issue during the US Department of State’s daily press briefing.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), along with the former cricketers and media, are fuming over India’s denial to travel to the neighbouring country for the Champions Trophy. The BCCI has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about their stance which the PCB seems unwilling to accept, thus asking the global body for an explanation. While the hosts are reluctant to operate a hybrid model, the ICC are busy finding a middle ground to conduct the 8-nation tourney.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani journalist raised the issue during the US Department of State’s daily press briefing on Novmeber 14. As reported by Hindustan Times, the journalist questioned principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel about his stance on the issue, leaving him surprised.
“There’s a big cricket event in Pakistan,” the journalist asked.
Surprised by the question, Patel replied, “Cricket? Oh, I didn’t have that on my bingo card. Go ahead.”
The journalist continued, saying, “It’s the biggest event after the Cricket World Cup, and India was set to participate, but the Indian government has refused to send the team to Pakistan. The Indian team last visited Pakistan in 2008, but due to political tensions, India has not travelled there since. Do you believe mixing politics with sports is a good idea? What’s your opinion on this?”
In reply, Patel stated that the issue is between India and Pakistan, adding that the United States has nothing to do with that.
“As it relates to relations between India and Pakistan, that’s for them to address, whether through sports or other matters. I’ll leave it to them to speak about their bilateral relationship. It’s not something for us to get involved in, but sports is undoubtedly a powerful and unifying force,” Patel said.
The Deputy Spokesperson further explained the importance of sports diplomacy in connecting people, mentioning its strong support from current and former Under Secretaries for Public Affairs.
“You’ve seen this department really prioritise the role of sports diplomacy in connecting people. It’s something that our current Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Lee Satterfield, values deeply; and our former Under Secretary, Liz Allen, really championed. Ultimately, sports connect so many people and it’s a great way to build human-to-human and people-to-people ties, something this administration has strongly emphasised,” said Patel.