Visas have been granted to the members of the Pakistan and Afghanistan cricket teams participating in the ODI World Cup, as confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
According to India Today, visas for the Pakistan players and their support staff will be processed on the following day. This development follows serious concerns raised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with the ICC regarding the delay in the national team’s travel to Hyderabad.
These visas were issued with less than 48 hours remaining before Pakistan’s scheduled departure to India on September 27. Their first warm-up match against New Zealand is slated for September 29 in Hyderabad. Although an ICC spokesperson affirmed that visas have been issued to Pakistan, there remained some uncertainty within the Pakistan camp regarding the status of their visas.
The PCB addressed the visa delay in a letter to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice on Monday, underscoring the adverse impact it had on the team’s preparations for the 50-over World Cup.