Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday affirmed that the Pakistan cricket team will be treated like any other participating nation's squad as the arch-rival will arrive in India to feature in the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan's government last week confirmed that it will send the national men's senior team to play the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held for the first time in its entirety in India from October 5 to November 19.
The status of Pakistan's participation in the World Cup was under doubt due to strained relations between the governments of both countries over the years.
In light of these circumstances, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday 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."
ICC revises World Cup 2023 schedule
Earlier this week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement to announce the revised schedule for the upcoming World Cup in India on Wednesday.
The clash between India and Pakistan was originally slated to take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 15, but this clash has been moved a day earlier and will now be held at the same venue on Saturday, October 14.
As a result, England's fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi will now be played 24 hours later on Sunday, October 15.
Pakistan's contest against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad has moved from Thursday, October 12 to Tuesday, October 10 and Australia's big match against South Africa in Lucknow moved back 24 hours and will now be played on Thursday, October 12 instead of Friday, October 13.
Similarly, New Zealand's game against Bangladesh originally scheduled as a day match for October 14 in Chennai has been moved back and will now be held on Friday, October 13, and be played as a day-night contest.
From the initial phase of the tournament, a minor change to the fixture refers to the timing of England's match against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, with the clash becoming a day match and a 10:30 AM (local time) start after it was originally scheduled as a day-night fixture.
Towards the end of the league stage, there are three changes with the double-header encounters of Sunday, November 12 being moved a day earlier to Saturday, November 11 - -Australia vs Pakistan in Pune (10:30 AM) and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata (02:00 PM).
Meanwhile, India's last league game against the Netherlands has now been shifted from 11 to 12 November, a day-night clash to be played in Bengaluru.
