Pakistan Cricket Board Gives Shahid Afridi-Led Team Go-Ahead for ICC World Twenty20 in India: Sources
Pakistan government were concerned about security to its cricket team after there were protests in Dharamsala. The ICC was forced to move the India versus Pakistan March 19 ICC World Twenty20 from Dharamsala to Kolkata on security grounds.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has given its nod to the Shahid Afridi-led national team to travel to India for the ICC World Twenty20, according to PCB sources to NDTV. The final approval, which should be a formality, is awaited from the government. The tournament got under way on March 8 with a first-round match between Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. (Dharamsala Loses India vs Pakistan ICC World T20 Match to Kolkata)
The Pakistan team was to travel to India from Lahore on Wednesday. But the Pakistan Cricket Board kept travel plans on hold after its three-member security team said the situation in India was not conducive to the team's travel. (Sourav Ganguly Says Kolkata Ready to Host India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Match)
The PCB on Wednesday sought security guarantees from India after the ICC moved the March 19 India versus Pakistan ICC World Twenty20 match from Dharamsala to Kolkata. Pakistan demanded "an assurance against specific threats to the Pakistan team from various political parties and groups during the tour". (T20 World Cup: As Politics Trumps Cricket, ICC Unlikely to Punish BCCI for Dharamsala Chaos)
Pakistan need not worry about the safety of their cricket teams in the ongoing World Twenty20 in India, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. . (World T20: Pakistan Team May Leave For India on Friday)
"Why only Pakistan? Whoever comes here, India provides them security. There is no reason to be worried about security here," Singh told reporters.
On Thursday, junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju promised foolproof security to Pakistan, a country shunned by top teams since a 2009 attack on a bus carrying a visiting Sri Lanka team near Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
On Thursday evening, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee assured the Pakistan team fool-proof security during it's stay in Kolkata. Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "Security in India was not an issue as the Pakistan contingent took part in the South Asian Games which were held in Assam and Meghalaya recently."
 The former champions open their campaign with a Super-10 match against a qualifier in Kolkata on March 16. The team is expected to fly out from Lahore late on Friday.