The Pakistani squad is now preparing to depart for Hyderabad, India, via Dubai on Wednesday morning.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 26th, 2023) Visas have finally been issued to Pakistan's cricket team, just in time for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence in India on October 5.
The Pakistani squad is now preparing to depart for Hyderabad, India, via Dubai on Wednesday morning. Their first World Cup warm-up match is set against New Zealand on Friday, September 29, in Hyderabad.
However, the journey to secure these visas was far from smooth. The Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) formally expressed their dissatisfaction with the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier today, citing significant delays in obtaining Indian visas.
In their formal communication to the ICC, the PCB voiced their concerns and highlighted the Host-Member agreement governing international sporting events of this nature.
In their letter to the ICC, the PCB stated, "We've been addressing this issue for three years, but our concerns went unnoticed.
Now, the situation has reached a critical point as we await visas. The lack of response from the concerned authorities has left us in a state of uncertainty.
Originally, we had planned a two-day stay in Dubai before heading to Hyderabad. However, due to this visa issue, we had to cancel that trip.
Despite assurances that visas would be issued within 24 hours, the passing days have only increased uncertainty, causing anxiety among all involved parties."
Due to these visa delays, Pakistan had to abandon their initial plan of spending two days in Dubai before proceeding to Hyderabad for the World Cup.
