Pakistan has decided to send its national cricket team to India to participate in this year’s 50-over World Cup, the foreign office said on Sunday.
The neighbouring countries, who share fraught relations, have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade.
“Pakistan has consistently maintained that sports should not be mixed with politics … Pakistan believes that the state of bilateral relations with India should not stand in the way of fulfilling its international sports-related obligations,” the foreign office statement said.
India, which hosts the World Cup in October and November, has ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on August 31.
Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was among the foreign ministers who travelled to India’s Goa last month for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, becoming the first senior Pakistani leader to visit India in nine years.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
The neighbours have fought three wars and have had a number of military skirmishes in recent years. The two nuclear-armed neighbours both control parts of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir but claim it in full.
Pakistan’s foreign office said it had concerns about its cricket team’s security during the tournament and would convey them to the International Cricket Council and Indian government.
Meanwhile, India are facing defeat in their T20 series against the West Indies.
Nicholas Pooran’s 67 off 40 balls has helped the West Indies clinch a two-wicket victory over India in the second Twenty20 international in Providence to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
India, who opted to bat at the Guyanan venue, had Tilak Varma’s 51 to thank for taking them past the 150 mark, with captain Hardik Pandya (24) and opener Ishan Kishan (27) also contributing to the total.
Three bowlers were instrumental in restricting India to an inadequate 7-152, with Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepherd taking two wickets apiece.
“That was not a pleasing batting performance by us. The wickets were falling and the track was on the slower side. We were not good enough to get to 160-plus,” Pandya said.
West Indies fumbled early in their innings, but Pooran anchored their chase with a big-hitting knock before being dismissed by Mukesh Kumar.
“I’m satisfied that I performed. The beauty of the game is it is never over until it’s over,” said player of the match Pooran, who scored 41 in the first T20I.
“The score didn’t matter to me as long as I was batting. It was about being smart and controlling the game. I felt like it was a decent wicket and we are accustomed to get such wickets here. The bowlers are going to give you half-volleys, full tosses.”
The hosts continued to lose wickets at a steady rate, with Hardik claiming three wickets, but tail-enders Hosein and Joseph combined for 26 runs to take the West Indies over the finish line with seven balls to spare.
The third T20 will be held at the same venue on Tuesday.
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