Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cleared the national team to participate in the 2023 World Cup in India. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement of not mixing politics with sport ends months of uncertainty over their clearance.
While their statement guarantees participation in the mega event, it remains to be seen whether Babar Azam and Co. play the group-stage match against India. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also mentioned the need for a change in venue from the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad initially due to security reasons, the latest statement hasn’t indicated anything of that kind.
The press release by the PCB read:
“Pakistan has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics. It India to participate in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations.”
Regarding the security situation, the statement elaborated as below:
“Pakistan, however, has deep concerns about the security of its cricket team. We are conveying these concerns to the International Cricket Council and the Indian authorities. We expect that full safety and security of Pakistan cricket team will be ensured during its visit to India.”
With the high-voltage clash initially set for October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the fixture has now been advanced to October 14. Their clash against England on October 12 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata also remains in limbo.
India’s peerless record against Pakistan in 50-over World Cups:
The Men in Blue have an enviable record against their arch-rivals in 50-over World Cups. The two sides faced one another in the mega event for the first time in 1992 and India are 7-0 up, with the latest one coming in 2019.
The Men in Green’s only World Cup win against India came in 2021 when Babar Azam and Co. emerged victorious by 10 wickets.