Just a week before the much-anticipated ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India, the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team has received Indian visas, as confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). This development comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) raised significant concerns regarding visa delays, which had been affecting the team’s preparation for the tournament. Importantly, these visas were issued less than 48 hours before the team’s scheduled departure to India, set for the early hours of September 27.
The Pakistan Men’s cricket team is slated to travel to Hyderabad, India, for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, with their first warm-up match against New Zealand scheduled for September 29.
An ICC spokesperson stated, “Visas have been issued to Pakistan,” in response to queries from the media. The PCB’s concerns over the delay in obtaining visas led to them writing a letter to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice on Monday. They highlighted that the uncertainty over Indian visas had resulted in the cancellation of a two-day team bonding session in Dubai, which was supposed to precede their arrival in Hyderabad on September 27.
The team, led by captain Babar Azam, will engage in two warm-up matches and participate in two World Cup matches in Hyderabad. Their first game will be a practice match against New Zealand.
In their letter to Allardice, the PCB also voiced their grievances about the visa issues that have persisted for over three years. They stressed that Pakistan would not accept such unequal treatment when it came to visa issuance for players, team officials, fans, and journalists attending the World Cup in India.
The Pakistan cricket team’s last visit to India was for the T20 World Cup in 2016. Due to the tense relations between the two countries, the arch-rivals only compete against each other in the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments.
PCB sources informed PTI that the flight tickets for around 35 members have now been re-booked, with the team departing for Hyderabad from Lahore in the early hours of September 27, transiting through Dubai and arriving in Hyderabad that night.
With the warm-up match just days away, players had been living with uncertainty due to the visa delays. The situation raises concerns about visa applications for fans and journalists traveling to India for the tournament.
Visa applications from Pakistan require clearances from three Indian ministries: Home, External Affairs, and Sports. Pakistan’s second warm-up game is scheduled against Australia on October 3, also in Hyderabad. The team will remain in the city for their opening two World Cup matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka on October 6 and 10, respectively, before traveling to Ahmedabad for the highly anticipated clash against hosts India on October 14.
Notably, only two members from the current Pakistan squad have previously toured India for cricket: Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Agha.
