- Pakistan’s cricket players finally receive visas for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.
- The PCB expressed dissatisfaction with the ICC over the significant visa delays.
- The initial travel plans, including a stopover in Dubai, had to be canceled due to the visa-related challenges.
In a much-awaited development, visas have finally been granted to Pakistan’s cricket players, just in the nick of time for the forthcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence in India on October 5.
With the visas secured, the Men in Green are now poised to embark on their journey to Hyderabad, India, via Dubai, with their departure scheduled for Wednesday morning. Their World Cup preparations will kick off with a warm-up match against New Zealand on Friday, September 29, in Hyderabad.
However, the road to obtaining these visas was anything but smooth for Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally voiced their discontent with the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier today, citing the significant delay in obtaining Indian visas as the primary cause for concern. In their written communication to the ICC, the PCB highlighted the Host-Member agreement that governs international sporting events of this magnitude.
The PCB’s letter underscored the gravity of the situation, stating,
“We have been discussing this issue for three years, yet our concerns went unheeded. Regrettably, the situation has now escalated to the point where we are still awaiting the issuance of visas.
The pervasive uncertainty stemming from the absence of a response from the relevant authorities has left us deeply concerned. Originally, we had planned for a two-day stopover in Dubai before our journey to Hyderabad, but due to these unforeseen visa challenges, we were compelled to abandon those plans. Despite reassurances from the authorities that the visas would be processed within 24 hours, the passage of time has only compounded our apprehensions.”
As a direct consequence of these visa-related setbacks, Pakistan had no choice but to abandon their initial itinerary, which included a two-day stay in Dubai before heading to Hyderabad for the World Cup.
