The Indian cricket team withdrew from the upcoming Blind T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by Pakistan from November 23 to December 3.
Shailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), confirmed the withdrawal, stating that the team did not receive permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Although the team had obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the sports ministry, they were awaiting a response from the government.
Yadav mentioned that the IBCA was informed of the decision verbally, with the written response still pending.
This decision follows shortly after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the Indian cricket team would not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.
In the meantime, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) has announced a 16-member national squad for the Blind Cricket World Cup.
The selection committee, comprising Masood Jan, Muhammad Jameel, and Tahir Mahmood Butt, finalized the squad with the approval of PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah.
Nisar Ali will captain the national team, with Badar Munir as vice-captain. The squad includes players from three categories:
B1 category: Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Idrees Saleem, Muhammad Shahzaib, Fakhar Abbas, Muhammad Asif, and Muhammad Salman.
B2 category: Babar Ali, Nematullah, and Haroon Khan.
B3 category: Muhammad Safdar, Kamran Akhtar, Akmal Hayat Nasir, Talha Iqbal, and Matiullah.
Reserve players are Muhammad Ayaz, Moeen Aslam, and Muhammad Rashid.
ICC Champions Trophy schedule expected to be announced this week
