Amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Indian visa delays ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Pakistan’s cricket community, including media personnel and fans, finds themselves in a state of anticipation.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again brought this matter to the attention of the international cricket governing body.
Visas for Pakistan’s cricket squad, the last team in line, were finally issued by India after the PCB formally raised concerns about the delayed issuance of visas for the national team. This communication with the ICC occurred earlier in the week.
Sources with insight into the situation have indicated that Indian authorities are, in their view, unnecessarily prolonging the visa issuance process for Pakistani cricket enthusiasts and media personnel who intend to attend the highly-anticipated event scheduled for October 5th in India.
In correspondence, the PCB has urged the ICC to promptly address the visa policy matter, facilitating timely applications by both the media and fans for Indian visas. This will enable them to effectively cover and support their touring team, as relayed by PCB sources.
The delay in informing the media and fans about the visa policy is causing concern, especially as Pakistan has already played one of their two warm-up matches and is set to face the Netherlands in their first tournament fixture within a few days, according to the sources.
The PCB remains hopeful that the ICC and other relevant authorities will expedite the resolution of this issue, recognizing the growing anxiety among Pakistan’s cricket fans and journalists who are eager to support and cover their team during the World Cup.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani emphasized earlier in the week that India is obligated to grant visas to Pakistani cricket fans under ICC regulations, which bind host countries to accommodate such requests. During a press conference in Islamabad, he underscored, “As per ICC rules, providing visas to the fans is mandatory.” He further stated that Pakistani fans should obtain Indian visas, and the PCB will escalate the matter with the ICC.
In the upcoming mega event in Ahmedabad, Pakistan is scheduled to face India on October 15th. Their first two matches in the event, against qualifiers, are set for October 6th and 12th, respectively.
