In a significant development, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), declared on Friday that the Pakistan cricket team will receive the same treatment as any other participating nation's squad during the forthcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. This announcement comes as the arch-rival team prepares to journey to India for its participation in the highly anticipated tournament. Notably, Pakistan's government recently confirmed its commitment to sending the national men's senior cricket team to compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This edition of the World Cup will mark a historic occasion, as it is scheduled to take place entirely in India from October 5 to November 19.
Official: India vs Pakistan on Saturday, 14th October in 2023. This match is expected to break all previous viewership records #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/6ad6SmPCoV
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) August 9, 2023
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In light of these circumstances, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday said, "We have seen these reports regarding the Pakistan team's participation in the upcoming ICC World Cup to be hosted by India. Pakistan team will be treated just like the team of any other country participating in the ICC World Cup."
The decision regarding Pakistan's participation in the World Cup had been a subject of uncertainty due to the prolonged strained relations between the governments of Pakistan and India over the years. In a related update earlier this week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued an official statement to unveil the revised schedule for the upcoming World Cup hosted by India. Among the changes, the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan, initially slated for Sunday, October 15 in Ahmedabad, has been rescheduled to Saturday, October 14, at the same venue. Consequently, England's fixture against Afghanistan, which was originally planned for Sunday, October 15 in Delhi, will now be played on the following day.
Further adjustments to the schedule include Pakistan's match against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, which has been moved from Thursday, October 12 to Tuesday, October 10. Additionally, Australia's significant encounter against South Africa in Lucknow has been shifted by 24 hours, now set to take place on Thursday, October 12 instead of the initial date of Friday, October 13. Likewise, New Zealand's game against Bangladesh, initially set as a day match for October 14 in Chennai, has been rescheduled to Friday, October 13, and will be played as a day-night contest.
During the preliminary phase of the tournament, a minor change affects the fixture timing for England's match against Bangladesh in Dharamsala. Originally scheduled as a day-night fixture, this clash will now begin at 10:30 AM (local time) as a day match.
As the league stage draws to a close, there are three notable alterations. The double-header encounters originally planned for Sunday, November 12, have been brought forward to Saturday, November 11. These matches include Australia vs Pakistan in Pune at 10:30 AM and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata at 02:00 PM. Meanwhile, the scheduling adjustment also impacts India's final league match against the Netherlands. This day-night contest, initially set for November 11, has been shifted to November 12 and will be played in Bengaluru.
