India to issue visas to Pakistani cricket team for ICC T20 World Cup: report

Published April 17, 2021
In this file photo, the Pakistan team pose for a photograph after winning the series after the third one-day international (ODI) match between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 7. — AFP/File
In this file photo, the Pakistan team pose for a photograph after winning the series after the third one-day international (ODI) match between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 7. — AFP/File

The Pakistani cricket team will not face difficulty in travelling across the border for the ICC T20 World Cup in October as the Indian government is set to grant visas to the players, several Indian media outlets reported on Saturday.

According to a report carried by The Hindu, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has informed the Apex Council about the government's decision on giving visas to the Pakistan players.

"The visa issue of Pakistan cricket team has been sorted. However whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear," an Apex Council member told Press Trust of India on conditions of anonymity, according to the report.

The official added that the matter will be decided in due course. "However we had promised ICC that it will be sorted," the official said.

Meanwhile, ESPNcricinfo reported that the event will be staged across nine venues, with Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final.

Other venues are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dharamsala and Lucknow, the report added.

Read: Everlasting charm of Pakistan-India cricket rivalry

Earlier in February, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani had said Pakistan would push for this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if India didn't provide a written assurance that the national cricket team, its fans and journalists will be granted visas for the event.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, he had stated the board had communicated these intentions to the International Cricket Council.

“There is a need to change the ‘Big Three’ mindset,” Mani had said. “We are not seeking written assurance for the visas of the national team only, but for the fans, officials and journalists as well."

“The BCCI lures other cricket boards through money," Mani had alleged, adding that the PCB had made its intentions clear to stakeholders — within and outside the country — that "we plan to run our cricket without India".

Opinion

Editorial

Military convictions
22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

THE sentencing of 25 civilians by military courts for their involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots raises questions...
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...
Strange claim
Updated 21 Dec, 2024

Strange claim

In all likelihood, Pakistan and US will continue to be ‘frenemies'.
Media strangulation
Updated 21 Dec, 2024

Media strangulation

Administration must decide whether it wishes to be remembered as an enabler or an executioner of press freedom.
Israeli rampage
21 Dec, 2024

Israeli rampage

ALONG with the genocide in Gaza, Israel has embarked on a regional rampage, attacking Arab and Muslim states with...