Pakistan Foreign Office urged Indian authorities on Thursday to ensure safety of the Men in Green during the ICC World Cup 2023, which begins today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement that “it is the responsibility of the Indian government to provide Pakistan team with a safe environment” during their stay in the neighbouring country.
MoFA also provided an update about the issuance of visas for Pakistani fans and journalists for the mega event.
“We are in contact with Indian authorities about visas and are hopeful that they will be issued soon,” the statement added. “India should not mix politics with cricket.”
The development comes after reports in Indian media on Wednesday indicated that terrorists have issued threats to target matches in the Ahmedabad, sparking concerns about the safety of players and spectators.
Security measures in and around Ahmedabad Stadium have been significantly beefed up. More than 3,000 police personnel will be deployed in and around the stadium premises to ensure the safety of attendees.
The decision has been made to keep the road leading to the stadium entirely closed during the matches, a move aimed at minimizing security risks.
Indian media has reported that stringent security protocols will be implemented during matches at the Ahmedabad Stadium. Spectators will be allowed to carry only mobile phones inside the stadium, while all other items will be strictly prohibited.
The ICC Cricket World Cup is set to resume its action, picking up from where it left off four years ago, today.
Ahmedabad, the world's largest cricket stadium in India will host a clash between the 2019 finalists, England and New Zealand. If the opening match of the 2023 edition manages to match the excitement of the 2019 final, it will undoubtedly kickstart the tournament with a bang.
A total of 10 teams will fight for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19.
The Cricket World Cup will be played in the round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches.
The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, which will be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
The winners of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will earn US$4 million. The runners-up will receive US$2 million, while the losing semi-finalists will earn $800,000 each from the total prize pot of US$10 million.
The winners of each match in the group stage will receive US$40,000 and the six teams that do not qualify for the semi-finals will receive a payment of US$100,000.
