The Pakistan cricket team is facing visa delays for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 in India, as India has yet to issue the required visas.
Consequently, the team’s planned “team-bonding trip” to Dubai before heading to India for their warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29 has been canceled.
Instead, the team is now scheduled to travel to Dubai and then proceed to Hyderabad, India, next week on Wednesday. Notably, Pakistan is the only one among the nine participating teams that has not yet received their visas.
Expressing concern over the situation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the visa delay. The ICC World Cup is slated to commence on October 5.
According to sources, the visa issuance was expected to adhere to the agreed-upon timeline with the regulatory body. However, Indian authorities have not provided any updates on the visa issuance for the team and cricket fans.
The PCB has maintained continuous communication with the Indian Consulate over the past week, but as of Friday, the visas had not been issued, marking the conclusion of the workweek.
Travel between the two nations has historically been challenging for players due to diplomatic tensions between their respective governments. Bilateral series between the two teams have not taken place since 2012-2013.
