Pakistan Foreign Ministry clears national team to participate in 2023 World Cup
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cleared the national team to participate in the 2023 World Cup in India. The Ministry has issued a statement vowing not to mix politics with sport, ending months of uncertainty over the Pakistan team's participation.
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. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier mentioned the need for a change in venue from the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad due to security reasons, but 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 has, therefore, decided to send its cricket team to 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."
The high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan was initially set for October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, but it has now been advanced to October 14. Pakistan's clash against England on October 12 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata also remains in limbo.
India have an unblemished 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 each another in the mega event for the first time in 1992, and as of today India are 7-0 up in the head-to-head, with the latest one coming in 2019.
The Men in Green's only World Cup win against India came in the 2021 T20 World Cup, when Babar Azam and Co. emerged victorious by 10 wickets. They have never, however, tasted victory over India at a World Cup in the 50-over format.