Former cricketers and sports journalists lambast the Indian authorities for failing to issue visas to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
Earlier, the green team’s plans for a pre-World Cup team-bonding trip to Dubai were canceled as the Babar-led team was still awaiting visas to travel to India.
Former wicket-keeping batter Rashid Latif said that the Board for Control of Cricket in India’s anti-Pakistan narratives have been relevant to cricket during BJP’s government in India.
“Jay Shah, Amit Shah’s son is BCCI’s Secretary. India is on the board having signed a host agreement with the ICC. They can’t stop visas. Home Ministry (Interior) headed by Amit Shah hasn’t so far issued NOC for the release of visas for the Pakistan team,” he wrote on X.
The Pakistani squad was due to fly to the UAE on September 25 and stay for a couple of days before flying to Hyderabad, ahead of their first warm-up game against New Zealand on September 29.
However, the national side is now set to arrive in Dubai on September 27 and fly to Hyderabad, India from there.
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The application for visas is understood to have been made over a week ago. Pakistan was the only one - of nine sides traveling to India for the World Cup - still awaiting visas, according to an ESPNcricinfo report.
Sports journalist Farid Khan said that the Pakistan team is still awaiting their visas for India.
“Leave politics out of sports. Roger Binny and Rajiv Shukla came to Lahore and said they were treated as kings,” he wrote.
Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on October 6.
Journalist Shaharyar Ejaz called it discriminatory and hatred towards the Pakistan team as the Indian ministry failed to provide NOCs for Pakistani players’ visas.
“Pakistan is supposed to travel to India tomorrow and play the first warm-up match on 29 September. Shame on you, @BCCI & Indian ministry. Politics winning yet again,” he wrote on X.
