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Cricket News: Will Pakistan play World Cup matches in India? | Pakistan government provide statement on Cricket World Cup
The Pakistan national government has granted permission to the men’s cricket team to participate in the ICC ODI World Cup that will be held in India in October-November this year.
“Pakistan has deep concerns about the security of its cricket team. We are conveying these concerns to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian authorities. We expect that the full safety and security of the Pakistan Cricket Team will be ensured during its visit to India,” a statement from the Pakistani foreign ministry read.
They added, “Pakistan has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics. It has, therefore, decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.”
Pakistan government provides green light for team to play in India
Earlier, sources from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said that they would be sending delegates to assess security at the venues where their team will be playing matches in the World Cup. However, a decision on the same has not been taken yet, Cricbuzz reports.
The PCB has conveyed its decision with regards to the clearance given to the national team to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ICC. The foreign ministry added that it believes that the country’s bilateral ties with India should not stand in the way of the team’s commitments in the international sports competitions.
“Pakistan’s decision shows its constructive and responsible approach vis-a-vis India’s intransigent attitude, as the latter had refused to send its Cricket Team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup,” they further mentioned.
There was a major impasse with the venue for the 2023 Asia Cup, with India insisting that they would not go to Pakistan for the tournament. Eventually, a compromise was reached with the Men in Blue playing their games in Sri Lanka with the initial few matches of the competition taking place in Pakistan.
