India 'finally' issues visas to Pakistan cricket team for ICC World Cup 2023

The Indian government on Monday 'finally' issued visas to the Pakistani cricket team and the officials, enabling them to travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson Umar Farooq Kalson said, “Finally received a call from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to collect the passports.”

The national team would leave for India tomorrow via Dubai, he said.

The development comes hours after the PCB approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) with concerns regarding “extraordinary delays” in the issuance of Indian visas.

“We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup,” Farooq said.

“It’s a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan team has to go through the uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.”

Farooq said the board had been reminding the ICC about obligations for the last three years but it had all come down to the last two days with the national team’s first warmup game scheduled on September 29.

“We were forced to cancel our original plan to organise team-building exercises in Dubai on the way to India. We have had to rework our plan and book new flights, but these plans are subject issuance of visas,” the spokesperson added.

The team is due to travel to Dubai from Lahore on Sept 27 before flying to Hyderabad, India, to play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3.

Earlier, the team was scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sept 25 and stay there for two days. Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on Oct 6.