Visas have finally been granted to Pakistan’s cricket players, just in time for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, set to kick off in India on October 5.
The Men in Green are now set to depart for Hyderabad, India, via Dubai on Wednesday morning. Their first World Cup warm-up match is slated against New Zealand on Friday, September 29, in Hyderabad.
BIG BREAKING: Pakistan and Afghanistan have been issued visas for the World Cup. Both teams can travel as per their plans @ICC #ICCWorldCup
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) September 25, 2023
However, it wasn’t a smooth journey for Pakistan to secure these visas. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally expressed their dissatisfaction with the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier today due to the significant delay in obtaining Indian visas. In their written communication to the ICC, the PCB voiced their concerns and pointed out the Host-Member agreement that governs international sporting events of this nature.
The letter from PCB stated, “We have been discussing this issue for three years, but no one paid attention to our concerns. And now, the situation has escalated to the point where we are still awaiting visas. We are in a state of uncertainty due to the lack of response from the concerned authorities. Originally, we had planned to stay in Dubai for two days before proceeding to Hyderabad, but due to this visa issue, we had to cancel that trip. Whenever we reached out to the concerned authorities, we were assured that the visas would be issued within 24 hours. However, with each passing day, the uncertainty is growing, and it is causing anxiety among everyone involved.”
As a result of these visa delays, Pakistan had to abandon their initial plan of a two-day trip to Dubai before heading to Hyderabad for the World Cup.
