Pakistan Squad
The Indian government issued visas for the Pakistan squad on Monday, allowing them to travel to the neighboring country for the World Cup, as confirmed by Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson Umar Farooq Kalson.
He stated, “Finally, received a call from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to collect the passports.”
The team will travel from Lahore to Dubai on September 27 before flying to Hyderabad, India, for two warm-up matches – against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3.
This development followed the PCB’s approach to the International Cricket Council (ICC) with concerns about “extraordinary delays” in the issuance of Indian visas.
Farooq mentioned, “We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup.”
Due to the visa delays, the team had to cancel its pre-World Cup team bonding event in Dubai.
The team had originally scheduled their departure for Dubai on September 25 and planned to stay there for two days. Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on October 6.
Fans and journalists intending to attend the tournament had to apply for visas through the Indian High Commission’s website, which remained inaccessible, causing frustration among applicants.
As a result of issues with the high commission’s website, visa seekers reported being advised to use a VPN to access the site.
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association issued a statement expressing concerns, stating that even media persons accredited with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ICC were facing difficulties.
The association appealed to the Indian High Commission to accept hand-filled visa applications if the issue persisted, emphasizing the limited time left before the start of the mega event.
