On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed serious concerns to the ICC regarding delays in the national team's travel to India for the ODI World Cup, citing visa issues. The PCB highlighted that this prolonged wait is affecting their preparation for this significant 50-over cricket event.
The PCB communicated with the ICC while awaiting visa clearance from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Originally, the Pakistani team planned a two-day team bonding session in Dubai before heading to Hyderabad on September 27, but this has been cancelled due to the uncertainty surrounding Indian visas.
The team, led by Babar Azam, is set to play warm-up games and World Cup matches in Hyderabad, commencing with a practice match against New Zealand on September 29.
In a letter to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice, the PCB voiced its concerns regarding visa approvals for players, team officials, fans, and journalists, citing a lack of action on these concerns for over three years. They emphasized that such unequal treatment towards Pakistan would not be tolerated.
PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq commented on the situation: "There have been extraordinary delays in getting clearance and securing Indian visas for the Pakistan team for the ICC World Cup.
"We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup. It's a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan team has to go through the uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.
"We have been reminding them about their obligations for the last three years and it has all come down to the last two days with our first warm game scheduled on September 29. We were forced to cancel our original plan to organise a team-building exercise in Dubai on the way to India. We have had to rework our plan and book new flights, but these plans are subject to issuance of visas,"
Farooq continued to express disappointment at the uncertainty faced by the Pakistan team ahead of this major tournament, stressing that their plans are at the mercy of visa issuances. The last time Pakistan visited India for a cricket event was during the T20 World Cup in 2016. Political tensions between the countries restrict their encounters to the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments only.
PCB sources revealed that flight tickets for about 35 members have been rebooked after the cancellation of the Dubai trip. Subject to visa approvals, the team plans to depart for Hyderabad from Lahore in the early morning of September 27, reaching Hyderabad via Dubai the same night.
"The warm-up game is less than four days away, and players are in a state of uncertainty. If the players are experiencing delays, one can only wonder about the visa applications of fans and journalists," noted an insider.
Visa applications from Pakistan necessitate clearances from three ministries: home, external affairs, and sports.
Pakistan's second warm-up game is scheduled against Australia on October 3, also in Hyderabad. They will stay in the city for their initial two World Cup games against Netherlands and Sri Lanka on October 6 and 10, respectively, before heading to Ahmedabad for a crucial match 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.
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(With PTI inputs)
