ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has finally allowed the national cricket team to travel to India for the ICC World Cup 2023 which is set to take place in October.
“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,” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday.
It further added that Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations.
“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 government expressed 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 full safety and security of the Pakistan Cricket Team will be ensured during its visit to India,” the FO added.
The development comes a few days after the committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India considered sending a delegation to review security arrangements on Thursday.
The committee, headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, comprised Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, chiefs of the national security institutions, and foreign secretary.
Officials, who spoke to Geo News on the condition of anonymity, had said that most participants of the meeting agreed that Pakistan should go to India for participation in the World Cup. However, some suggestions did come of Pakistan skipping the event as India is also not visiting Pakistan.
However, the sources also said that there was consensus that a security guarantee will be taken from India before the team’s departure.
The sources also shared that Pakistan will reach out to India and the ICC for sending a security delegation. It added that if there is an agreement on sending a delegation then it will visit India in the last week of August.
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