Cricket World Cup: No Pak scribes, fans; govt asked to get involved to expedite visas | Cricket-world-cup News

With Pakan set to play their second World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka on Tuesday without any journals or fans from their country, the government in Islamabad has been asked to get involved in the matter to expedite the visa process.The Pakan Cricket Board (PCB) has called on the country’s foreign secretary to step in and solve the ongoing impasse. According to PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq, the board’s management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf met Pakan foreign secretary Syrus Sajjad, raising concerns about the visa delays faced their journals and fans for their travel to India.
This meeting comes three days after the PCB first wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) flagging concerns about the delay faced journals and fans from Pakan. “The chairman also requested the Foreign Secretary to take up the issue with India’s Home Minry through the Pakan High Commission Office in New Delhi. PCB is extremely disappointed to see that journals from Pakan and fans are still facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa to cover Pakan games in ICC World Cup 2023,” Farooq said in a statement to The Indian Express.

Pakan are playing their first tournament in India since the 2016 T20 World Cup. Back then, The Indian Express had reported, quoting Home Minry officials, that they would be issuing 250 visas for each match for Pakani fans. Since Pakan played their matches only in Kolkata and Mohali, a multi-city visa was issued for their fans who could provide match ticket and accommodation details.
Last week as it became evident that no Pakani journal would be able to travel to Hyderabad for their opening fixture against the Netherlands, the PCB had written to the ICC about the delay in visas being issued and cited the Members Playing Agreement (MPA) signed the cricket boards for the World Cup, which mandates issuing visas for travelling journals and fans.
“We have reminded the ICC about their obligations and members’ agreement on issuing visas for fans and journals and continue to raise concerns with all relevant authorities,” a PCB spokesperson told The Indian Express.
This paper reported that Mohammad Bashir, better known as Chicago Chacha in cricket circles, was the only Pakan fan at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad for the team’s warm-up game against Australia. Bashir holds a US passport.
Official response
When asked about the delay in visas being issued to journals from Pakan and the MPA, an ICC spokesperson said, “This is an obligation of our host (India) and they are working hard on it with our full support. Every effort is being made to get this sorted.”
The Indian Express reached out to the Minry of External Affairs and the Minry of Home Affairs, but hasn’t received a response yet.
A top BCCI official told this paper that a communication channel was open with the government on the ‘visa issue’ for Pakan journals and fans.
“The BCCI is following up on visas to fans and journals with the Indian government. We are hopeful a solution will be found soon,” the BCCI official said.
It is learnt that around 60 journals from Pakan have been granted accreditation the ICC. “Since e-visas are not given to Pakan journals, most of us applied for the visa (after submitting the passport) in the first week of September,” a senior journal from Pakan told The Indian Express. “But so far, we have not received any confirmation from the Indian High Commission here. Hopefully, we will receive it next week.”Most Read
1
Israel-Palestine News Live Updates: PM Netanyahu says Hamas attack will ‘change Middle East’ after Israel declares complete siege of Gaza

2
Kajol says she doesn’t seek professional ‘validation’ from Ajay Devgn: ‘We have 2 kids, 4 cars and 2 dogs to talk about’

See More

As Pakani journals could not travel, they had to cancel hotel bookings in Hyderabad and air tickets.

Even before the World Cup began, the Pakan team faced visa issues which led to them cancelling their two-day boot camp in Dubai. They received their Indian visas 48 hours before they were to travel for the tournament.
Journals from Bangladesh also initially faced delays in procuring visas. “This sort of delay has never happened,” a senior journal from Bangladesh, who has travelled to India multiple times in the past, said. “We had to write to the Indian High Commission 6-7 times, which has never happened in the past. Eventually, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, with the help of our foreign minry, put in a request on October 1 and on October 3 evening, few of us got the visas,” the journal said.