Pakistan Hockey Team Reacts As PCB Confirms ODI World Cup Participation

Pakistan field hockey player Abdul Rana lauded his government's decision of sending the men's senior cricket team to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, saying that players from both the countries should visit each other's nations for matches between two rival teams because fans enjoy them.  Currently, the Pakistan hockey team is in India to play in the Asian Champion Trophy, which is being held in Chennai. Both rival teams will square in a much-anticipated match on Wednesday.

Also, the Pakistan government announced on Sunday 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 held in India was under doubt due to strained relations between the governments of both countries over the years.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement announcing the same.

"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," the statement said.

"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-à-vis India's intransigent attitude, as the latter had refused to send its Cricket Team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup," concluded the statement.

Reacting to the development, Abdul Rana told ANI that both countries' players should visit the other side of the border more as people like when these teams play.

"I think it is a