Pakistan has decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in the ODI World Cup 2023, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.

The 50-over World Cup will be starting on October 5 in India.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday, Pakistan has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics. “It has, therefore, decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, it adds. 

Today’s long-awaited decision follows weeks of doubts about Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup, as the government delayed approving the team’s visit to India citing security concerns, the FO said in the statement.

Pakistan authorities continued to have “deep concerns” about the security of the country’s cricket team in India.

“We are conveying these concerns to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian authorities. We expect that full safety and security of the Pakistan cricket team will be ensured during its visit to India,” the statement read.

It added: “Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations.

Pakistan’s decision shows its constructive and responsible approach vis-a-vis India’s intransigent attitude, as the latter had refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. “

The neighboring countries, who share fraught relations, have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade.