PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has expressed serious concerns about the ongoing delay in issuing visas to Pakistani cricket fans and journalists planning to attend the World Cup in India. While these concerns have been simmering for some time in Pakistan, this marks the first public statement on the issue since the tournament began. Pakistan has already participated in one World Cup game against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, with another match scheduled against Sri Lanka in the same city on Tuesday. The most highly anticipated game in the tournament's league phase is set for October 14, when Pakistan faces India in Ahmedabad. However, it appears that there may be very few Pakistani fans and journalists in attendance, as visa issuance remains uncertain. Ashraf has met with Pakistan's foreign secretary, Syrus Sajjad Qazi, and requested that the matter be taken up with India's Ministry of Home Affairs. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed its disappointment over the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Indian visas for Pakistani journalists and fans covering Pakistan's matches in the ICC World Cup 2023. The PCB has also reminded both the ICC and the BCCI of their obligations in this matter
Furthermore, the PCB has taken note of reported security threats in the Indian media and has requested the government to assess the safety and security of the Pakistan squad in India, emphasizing the paramount importance of their well-being. Ehsan Mani, former PCB chairman and ICC president, highlighted that the ICC and BCCI had previously assured that visas for Pakistani nationals would not be problematic. He emphasized that host countries for ICC events commit to facilitating visas for teams, officials, journalists, and fans, as specified in the hosting agreement. Mani pointed out that he had raised this issue in board meetings with both the BCCI and the ICC between 2019 and 2021, and both organizations had promised that visa-related challenges would not arise. He stressed that since it's an ICC event, they should have resolved these issues before the World Cup began.
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