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The PCB warned the ICC of the negative effects on the
Pakistan team’s World Cup preparations and voiced its strong concern over the
delay in issuing visas to the team. As of the end of business on Monday, visas
still hadn’t been provided to the team, which was due to depart Pakistan early
on Wednesday.
Since Pakistan is the only World Cup team currently
competing without a visa, the Pakistan board has been in constant communication
with the ICC about the situation. On Monday, less than 48 hours before the team
was scheduled to depart, the board sent a letter of complaint to the ICC
expressing its displeasure.
“There has been an extraordinary delay in getting
clearance and securing Indian visas for the Pakistan team for ICC World
Cup,” PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq said in a statement. “We have written
to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and
reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup.
“It’s a matter of disappointment that the
Pakistan team has to go through this uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.
We have been reminding [the organisers] about their obligations from last three
years and it has all come down to the last two days with our first warm 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 to issuance
of visas.”
The PCB claims that the application procedure for the
visas officially started at the end of August when the board received an
invitation letter from the ICC. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first
attempted to submit visa applications without physical passports because the
Pakistan squad was travelling to and from Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, which
Pakistan was officially hosting. They were informed that this was not possible,
and since passports were required, the PCB ultimately submitted an application
on September 19, shortly after the team’s return from the Asia Cup.
The tight relationship between the two governments
frequently holds visas between the two nations hostage. Both teams have not
visited each other’s country for a bilateral series since Pakistan’s trip to
India for a white-ball series in 2012-13.