The Pakistani government has raised worries about the safety of its squad while playing in India during the World Cup, but it has also said that it will permit the team to compete.
“The safety of Pakistan’s cricket team is a significant concern. We are expressing these worries to the Indian government and the International Cricket Council (ICC). We anticipate that the Pakistan Cricket Team’s complete safety and security will be guaranteed throughout its journey to India, according to a statement released by the foreign ministry on Sunday, August 6.
It has been made clear, though, that it won’t stop Babar Azam’s family from visiting India. “Pakistan has insisted without wavering that politics and sports should not be intermingled. As a result, it has chosen to send a cricket team to India to compete in the next ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, according to the statement from the foreign ministry.
However, the announcement does not mention sending a reconnaissance group to India to scout out the stadiums where Pakistan will play. A security team may visit India, according to PCB sources, but the decision will be made at a later time.
The locations of Pakistan’s games are Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. The Netherlands will be their opponent in Hyderabad for their opening game, while India will be their opponent in Ahmedabad, most likely on October 14.
A high-level meeting took place on Thursday, August 3, as was recently reported. The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were informed of the meeting’s decision. The country’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,” the statement said. “Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations.”