As of Friday, it has come to light that the Pakistan cricket team has not received their visas for their scheduled departure to India for the ICC World Cup 2023, which is slated to commence on October 5. Sources have revealed that the delay in visa issuance has raised concerns within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
According to sources, the cricket board has communicated the visa delay issue to the International Cricket Council (ICC). It has been emphasized that the visas were expected to be granted in a timely manner in accordance with the agreement established with the regulatory body.
Furthermore, Indian authorities have not provided any updates regarding the issuance of visas, both for the team and cricket enthusiasts.
The Men in Green have a scheduled warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29, and their departure to India via Dubai was initially planned for September 26.
Over the past week, the PCB has maintained continuous communication with the Indian Consulate, but as of Friday, which marked the conclusion of the working week, the visas had not been issued.
Pakistan’s ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule
October 6: Pakistan vs. Netherlands in Hyderabad
October 10: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
October 14: Pakistan vs. India in Ahmedabad
October 20: Pakistan vs. Australia in Bengaluru
October 23: Pakistan vs. Afghanistan in Chennai
October 27: Pakistan vs. South Africa in Chennai
October 31: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh in Kolkata
November 4: Pakistan vs. New Zealand in Bengaluru (Day match)
November 11: Pakistan vs. England in Kolkata
The day matches are set to commence at 10 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other fixtures will be day-night encounters starting at 1:30 pm (PST).
In the event that Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, their match will be held in Kolkata. However, if India also secures a spot in the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai unless they face Pakistan, in which case the match will be hosted in Kolkata.
Squad
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafiq, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), M Wasim Jnr, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir.
Reserves
Mohammad Haris, Zaman Khan, Abrar Ahmed.
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