A report is circulating in the Indian media that Pakistan would play its World Cup matches in Chennai and Kolkata.

The report from Press Trust of India is currently the talk of the town in the neighbouring country which states that these two cities are where the Men in Green have felt safe during their tours hence it will be the preferred option.

“A lot will depend on what BCCI and the Indian government decide but given a choice, Pakistan will like to play most of its World Cup matches in Kolkata and Chennai,” PTI citing its sources inside ICC reported.

“In Kolkata, Pakistan played its T20 World Cup game against India in 2016 and the players were very happy with the security. Similarly, Chennai as a venue remains memorable for Pakistan. It’s also about feeling safe at specific venues.”

Now you might be wondering that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen on adopting a tit-for-tat policy against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and this report is completely contradicting that.

So far, BCCI is reluctant to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, while PCB is firm on returning the favour to India during the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Both boards want to play matches at neutral venues in the upcoming tournaments. India is looking for England, UAE, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Oman for Asia Cup, while Bangladesh and UAE emerged as favourite to host Pakistan’s World Cup matches.

Both parties had met in Dubai, but the deadlock remains intact. More rounds of talks are expected between both boards in the coming months.

PCB Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi, in his recent interview, acknowledged that Pakistan fans do not want the Babar XI to play World Cup in India if India decide against travelling for the Asia Cup.

“I know people don’t want us to go to India if India doesn’t come to Pakistan. People want us to stand our ground and not be dictated,” Sethi said.