New Delhi: Amid Pakistan’s concern about the security of its cricket team, which will be participating in the World Cup 2023 starting on October 5 in India, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, on Friday said that the government will provide necessary security not only to the Pakistan cricket team, but also all other participatory teams in the tournament.
This comes as Islamabad on August 6 announced that it would send its cricket team to participate in this year’s ICC World Cup, which is slated to be held in India. Having said that, the Pakistani government is still not trusting the Indian government when it comes to the security of its cricket team. Hence, it wrote to the BCCI and ICC to ensure the safety and security of its team.
"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 the full safety and security of the Pakistan cricket team will be ensured during its visit to India," the Pakistan government said in a statement.
In response to the query over the matter, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, while speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Friday, during a weekly media briefing said, “We have seen these reports regarding the Pakistan cricket team’s participation in the upcoming ICC World Cup to be hosted by India. Pakistan cricket team will be treated just like the cricket team of any other country participating in the ICC World Cup. We will be providing necessary security not only to them but also to all the other participatory teams in the tournament".
The decision by Pakistan to send its cricket team to India comes against the backdrop of the sour bilateral ties between the two countries. In fact, there were a lot of concerns if the team will take part in the tournament, especially after India denied travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
