ICC World Cup 2023: Govt allows Pakistan cricket team to travel to India

ISLAMABAD: The government has allowed Pakistan cricket team to travel to India for participating in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, scheduled for October 15, ARY News reported on Sunday, quoting Foreign Office (FO).

In the statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that the government has decided to send Pakistan cricket team to India for participating in the upcoming ICC World Cup as “it has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics”.

“Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations,” the statement noted.

It added that Pakistan’s decision shows its “constructive and responsible approach” vis-à-vis India’s intransigent attitude, as the latter had refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.

However, the statement noted, Pakistan has deep concerns about the security of its cricket team. The government will convey its concerns to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian authorities

“We expect that full safety and security of Pakistan Cricket Team will be ensured during its visit to India,” it concluded.

Earlier it was reported that Pakistan would send a delegation comprising security high-ups to India to review the security arrangements ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

The federal government will finalise the delegation members including high-ups from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and security institutions.

The security delegation will prepare a report after visiting India and the government will make a decision to allow Pakistan’s cricket team to travel to India afterwards.

Pakistan-India CWC clash

The Pakistan-India fixture in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad is one of the highly-anticipated contests but the game may be rescheduled due to security reasons.

The arch-rivals will clash on October 15. The date coincides with the first day of the Navratri festival. The joyous event is significantly celebrated in Gujrat state, which hosts the city.

The security agencies are reportedly concerned that managing the influx of fans and their safety may be problematic.

The officials raised their concerns with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has acknowledged them. The governing body of the sport in the country is exploring different options for staging the match.

“We are mulling the options that we have, and a decision in this regard will be taken soon,” a BCCI official stated. “We have been told by the security agencies that a high-profile game like India vs. Pakistan, for which thousands of traveling fans are expected to reach Ahmedabad, should be avoided since they will be stretched because of Navratri.”