The U-turn of Ramiz Raja from a World Cup boycott to traveling to India
Former cricketer of Pakistan cricket team Ramiz Raja has gotten his visa to travel to India before the ICC World Cup 2023. He was spotted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on September 29, doing a pre-match show alongside Sunil Gavaskar for the Pakistan vs. New Zealand warm-up game.
Ramiz Raza, who is also the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, strongly advocated for team Pakistan to boycott the ICC World Cup 2023 earlier because India had refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 due to political tensions.
India and Pakistan refrain from engaging in bilateral cricket series or visiting each other's countries, primarily due to the longstanding political tensions. The last time India and Pakistan faced off in a bilateral series was in 2012–13, amid strained ties. Since then, both countries have played each other only in ICC events and the Asia Cup.
This is the first time in the last seven years that the Pakistan cricket team has traveled to India. Contrary to expectations, the Babar Azam-led side has received a grand welcome at Hyderabad airport, where a large crowd has gathered to catch a glimpse of them.