Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board management committee, has voiced “serious concerns and alarm” over the prolonged delay in the issuance of visas to Pakistani journalists and fans intending to cover and support their team at the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
In his efforts to address this issue, Ashraf called upon Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Syrus Sajjad Qazi, and urged immediate action. He also requested the Foreign Secretary to take up this matter with India’s Home Ministry through the Pakistan High Commission Office in New Delhi. Furthermore, the PCB has taken notice of security threats reported in the Indian media and urged the government to assess the security of the Pakistan squad during their stay in India.
“The PCB is extremely disappointed to see that journalists from Pakistan and fans are still facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa to cover Pakistan games in ICC World Cup 2023,” expressed the board in a statement. Ashraf emphasized, “The PCB has also taken serious notice of security threats being reported in Indian media and requested the government to evaluate players’ security in India. The well-being and safety of the Pakistan squad are of paramount importance.”
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) had previously stated that it was collaborating with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to facilitate visas for approximately 60 journalists from Pakistan who were accredited by the ICC for event coverage. However, the number of Pakistani fans who will ultimately be able to attend remains uncertain.
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As Pakistan has already played one World Cup game against the Netherlands in Hyderabad and is set to face Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the same venue, the much-anticipated match against India in Ahmedabad on October 14 may have limited Pakistani representation in the stands and the press box, mirroring the situation thus far.
During the first game against the Netherlands, Pakistan reporters were directed to send questions to the ICC media manager, and for the upcoming game against Sri Lanka, ICC has arranged a Zoom link for Pakistani reporters to participate in press conferences. While approximately 60 Pakistani reporters have been accredited for the World Cup, the exact number of attending fans is yet to be determined.
Adding to the visa-related challenges, the Pakistan cricket team’s visas for the tournament were issued just a day before their scheduled departure, leading to the cancellation of a pre-World Cup training camp in Dubai. The team has been in Hyderabad since September 27, where they received a warm welcome upon arrival.
-IANS
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