According to reports from RevSportz, the Pakistan Government is preparing to request a security assurance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the safety of the Babar Azam-led team during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled to take place in India from 5th October to 19th November.
In response to concerns about the team’s security in India, a high-profile committee led by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto met on Thursday (3rd August) under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The committee is reportedly seeking a written guarantee from the ICC regarding the safety of the Pakistan cricket team during their time in India for the prestigious tournament.
Various media outlets have reported that the Pakistan Government plans to send a security delegation to India to assess the safety measures and conditions in the host country before making a final decision on the team’s participation in the World Cup. The political tensions between India and Pakistan have raised doubts about the availability of the Men in Green for the tournament.
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As per the ICC World Cup schedule, Pakistan’s matches are scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata, with the highly anticipated clash against India set to take place at the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad. The security delegation is expected to inspect these venues and submit a report, which will then be used to determine the team’s participation in the event.
It’s worth noting that the Pakistani government had previously sent a similar security delegation to India ahead of the 2016 T20 World Cup. Pakistan is slated to begin their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on 6th October at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.