India to issue visas to Pakistan team for T20 World Cup

By
Abdul Mohi Shah
|
Web Desk

April 17, 2021

Pakistan's Imad Wasim with Indian skipper Virat Kohli. File photo
  • Indian government assures BCCI that Pakistan cricket team will get visas for the T20 World Cup.
  • Indian board was given an April 30 deadline by ICC to furnish in-writing confirmation from the government to issue visas.
  • Tournament scheduled to be played in October-November this year.

ISLAMABAD: Amid reports of backdoor talks between rival countries India and Pakistan in UAE, the Indian government has agreed to issues visas and security cover to the Pakistan cricket team during the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in October-November this year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) council was told Friday that the Indian government has given an all-clear to issue visas to the Pakistan squad and sports scribes for the mega event.

The T20 World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Australia in 2020 but was shifted to India for October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more: T20 World Cup in India may not go 'as per plan', says ICC chief

Despite many reminders by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the BCCI was unable to furnish the Indian government’s no-objection certificate on timely issuance of visas to the Pakistan team.

However, a few weeks back, the BCCI representative attending the ICC virtual meeting confirmed positive talks with their government.

The BCCI was given an April 30 deadline by the ICC to furnish in-writing confirmation from the Indian government to issue visas to the Pakistan team.

Read more: PCB seeks written guarantee from ICC for Indian visas for T20 World Cup 2021

It is believed that the guarantee letter will be submitted to the ICC within the next few days. However, there has been no decision on accommodating Pakistani spectators as yet.

According to an Indian media report, the BCCI has also finalised nine venues where world T20 matches will be held, with Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final.

The other venues are in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Dharamsala, the report said.