INDORE: Members of the Pakistan cricket workforce have been on Monday issued Indian visas for the ODI World Cup, the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed, hours after the PCB raised severe issues with the worldwide physique over the delay within the nationwide workforce’s journey to Hyderabad.
The visa clearance got here lower than 48 hours earlier than Pakistan’s scheduled journey to India within the wee hours of September 27. They play their first warm-up recreation in opposition to New Zealand in Hyderabad on September 29.
“Visas have been issued to Pakistan,” an ICC spokesperson instructed PTI.
Nonetheless, confusion remained within the Pakistan camp over the grant of visa.
“We have now not obtained the decision from Indian Excessive Fee but over visa clearance. Member of our workforce is stationed there,” PCB spokesperon Umar Farooq instructed PTI.
The affirmation from the ICC got here after the PCB wrote to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice on Monday over the visa delay in addition to claiming the anxious wait has adversely impacted the workforce’s preparation for the 50-over showpiece.
Pakistan have been alleged to have a two-day workforce bonding session in Dubai earlier than their scheduled arrival in Hyderabad on September 27 however was cancelled because of the uncertainty over Indian visa.
The Babar Azam-led aspect performs two warm-up video games and as many World Cup matches in Hyderabad beginning with the follow fixture in opposition to New Zealand.
Within the letter addressed to Allardice, the PCB additionally claimed that its issues over visa being granted to gamers, workforce officers, followers and journalists for the World Cup in India haven’t been addressed for greater than three years. It additionally added that such inequitable remedy to Pakistan won’t be acceptable.
Reiterating these issues, Farooq added: “There was a unprecedented delays in getting clearance and securing Indian visas for the Pakistan workforce for ICC World Cup.
“We have now written to ICC elevating our issues about inequitable remedy in direction of Pakistan and reminding them of those obligations in direction of the World Cup. It is a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan workforce has to undergo the uncertainty forward of the key event.
“We have now been reminding about their obligations from final three years and it has all come all the way down to final two days with our first heat recreation scheduled on September 29. We have been pressured to cancel our unique plan to organise team-building train in Dubai on the best way to India. We have now needed to rework our plan and ebook new flights, however these plans are topic issuance of visas,” he stated.
Pakistan final visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016. The arch-rivals solely play one another within the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments because of the tense relations between the 2 nations.
PCB sources knowledgeable that flight tickets of round 35 members have been re-booked now that the Dubai journey is off. The workforce will now depart for Hyderabad from Lahore within the wee hours of September 27 and attain Hyderabad through Dubai within the evening.
“The nice and cozy-up recreation is lower than 4 days away and gamers are in a state of uncertainty. If the gamers are having to expertise delays, one can solely marvel what’s going to occur to visa purposes of followers and journalists,” a supply stated.
Visa purposes from Pakistan require clearances from three ministries — residence, exterior affairs and sports activities.
Pakistan’s second warm-up recreation will probably be in opposition to Australia on October 3, additionally in Hyderabad.
They’ll stay within the metropolis for his or her opening two World Cup video games in opposition to Netherlands and Sri Lanka on October 6 and 10 respectively earlier than flying to Ahmedabad for the large recreation in opposition to hosts India on October 14.
Solely two members from the present Pakistan squad have toured India for cricket — Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Agha.
The visa clearance got here lower than 48 hours earlier than Pakistan’s scheduled journey to India within the wee hours of September 27. They play their first warm-up recreation in opposition to New Zealand in Hyderabad on September 29.
“Visas have been issued to Pakistan,” an ICC spokesperson instructed PTI.
Nonetheless, confusion remained within the Pakistan camp over the grant of visa.
“We have now not obtained the decision from Indian Excessive Fee but over visa clearance. Member of our workforce is stationed there,” PCB spokesperon Umar Farooq instructed PTI.
The affirmation from the ICC got here after the PCB wrote to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice on Monday over the visa delay in addition to claiming the anxious wait has adversely impacted the workforce’s preparation for the 50-over showpiece.
Pakistan have been alleged to have a two-day workforce bonding session in Dubai earlier than their scheduled arrival in Hyderabad on September 27 however was cancelled because of the uncertainty over Indian visa.
The Babar Azam-led aspect performs two warm-up video games and as many World Cup matches in Hyderabad beginning with the follow fixture in opposition to New Zealand.
Within the letter addressed to Allardice, the PCB additionally claimed that its issues over visa being granted to gamers, workforce officers, followers and journalists for the World Cup in India haven’t been addressed for greater than three years. It additionally added that such inequitable remedy to Pakistan won’t be acceptable.
Reiterating these issues, Farooq added: “There was a unprecedented delays in getting clearance and securing Indian visas for the Pakistan workforce for ICC World Cup.
“We have now written to ICC elevating our issues about inequitable remedy in direction of Pakistan and reminding them of those obligations in direction of the World Cup. It is a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan workforce has to undergo the uncertainty forward of the key event.
“We have now been reminding about their obligations from final three years and it has all come all the way down to final two days with our first heat recreation scheduled on September 29. We have been pressured to cancel our unique plan to organise team-building train in Dubai on the best way to India. We have now needed to rework our plan and ebook new flights, however these plans are topic issuance of visas,” he stated.
Pakistan final visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016. The arch-rivals solely play one another within the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments because of the tense relations between the 2 nations.
PCB sources knowledgeable that flight tickets of round 35 members have been re-booked now that the Dubai journey is off. The workforce will now depart for Hyderabad from Lahore within the wee hours of September 27 and attain Hyderabad through Dubai within the evening.
“The nice and cozy-up recreation is lower than 4 days away and gamers are in a state of uncertainty. If the gamers are having to expertise delays, one can solely marvel what’s going to occur to visa purposes of followers and journalists,” a supply stated.
Visa purposes from Pakistan require clearances from three ministries — residence, exterior affairs and sports activities.
Pakistan’s second warm-up recreation will probably be in opposition to Australia on October 3, additionally in Hyderabad.
They’ll stay within the metropolis for his or her opening two World Cup video games in opposition to Netherlands and Sri Lanka on October 6 and 10 respectively earlier than flying to Ahmedabad for the large recreation in opposition to hosts India on October 14.
Solely two members from the present Pakistan squad have toured India for cricket — Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Agha.
