The upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, scheduled to begin on October 5 in India, will see Pakistan’s participation, marking a significant cricket event between the two neighboring countries. Notably, Pakistan and India have not engaged in a bilateral cricket series for several years, making this World Cup encounter particularly momentous.
For most of the Pakistani squad members, this will be their first experience of playing cricket in India. The last time Pakistan and India played a bilateral series in any format was during the 2012-13 season. Pakistan’s previous tour to India involved ODI and T20I series, with a Test match in 2007.
In the current Pakistani World Cup squad, only Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha have prior experience of touring India. Mohammad Nawaz visited India in 2016 for the ICC World Twenty20, although he did not feature in any matches during the tournament. Salman Ali Agha, on the other hand, played a Champions League match in India as part of the Lahore Lions squad, participating in one match against the Dolphins and scoring one run off three balls.
However, it’s important to note that the majority of the Pakistani team will be playing in India for the first time. Given the historical strains in diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Indian government has yet to issue visas for the Pakistan team, despite the mega cricket tournament being just days away. This adds an extra layer of anticipation and uncertainty to the much-anticipated cricket clash between Pakistan and India in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup.
