The International Cricket Council (ICC) last night on September 25 confirmed that the Government of India has approved the visa for the Pakistan Cricket Team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 starting from October 5.
The ICC has said that the Indian government approved the visas of the Pakistan cricket team less than 48 hours before they were to fly from Dubai to Hyderabad. The approval comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yesterday expressed its displeasure to the ICC over India’s delay in issuing visas.
The Pakistan cricket team’s visa was not cleared before PCB’s mail to ICC. Well, the Indian government finally granted visa approval to the Pakistani team, but due to this delay, the PCB had to cancel its plans for a team bonding tour of UAE ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
Pakistan Cricket Team gets approval to come to India
Meanwhile, an Indian government spokesperson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo, “The Ministry of Home Affairs has given security clearance for the issuance of visas. PCB may get passports with visas for its team on Monday evening.”
Now the Pakistan cricket team will fly to Dubai on the morning of Wednesday, September 27, and then leave for Hyderabad in the evening, where Babar Azam’s team will play its first practice match against New Zealand on Friday, September 29.
Let us tell you, that Pakistan will start its ODI World Cup 2023 campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. After which they will face Sri Lanka on 10 October and host India on 14 October.
Pakistan’s squad for World Cup 2023
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Aga, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.
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