Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to confirm whether their team will travel to India for ODI World Cup 2023 later this year. Pakistan’s participation is in doubt due to PCB’s claim about security threats and the Pakistan government’s reluctance to send Babar Azam-led side until International Cricket Council’s (ICC) assurance. Meanwhile, there were rumours that the Kolkata Police has told the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) that security deployment may be an issue for Pakistan's fixture against England due to Kali Puja. However, CAB President Snehasish Ganguly has quashed the rumours.
“There is nothing in writing in regards to Pakistan vs England security arrangements. So far, there is no change in schedule and we have not contacted BCCI for a change. Police has not given anything in writing or have said anything verbally,” Ganguly told Sports Tak.
Pakistan will start their ODI World Cup campaign against the Netherlands at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on October 6. Earlier this week, Sports Tak had learnt that the much-awaited India vs Pakistan is likely to get preponed by a day from October 15 to October 14. But there will be no chance in venue and it will be played at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Pakistan's second clash against Sri Lanka at the same venue is likely to get preponed as well. It was earlier scheduled to be played on October 12. Now, it is likely to be played on October 10.
Later in the week, Pakistan's Inter-provincial Coordination Minister Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari had said that they will raise security concerns in front of the apex cricket board. “We have demanded that the ICC should provide us a guarantee for security,” Mazari had told Dawn.com.
The decision was taken by the committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif which is chaired by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The last time India and Pakistan played in an ICC event was in last year's T20 World Cup in Australia. The arch-rivals have not played a single bilateral series. The last time Pakistan came to India was in T20 World Cup 2016.
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