T20 World Cup: Indian govt assures visas for Pakistan players, media
Visas will also be issued to Pakistani journalists for the T20 World Cup in India.
LAHORE/NEW DELHI (Web Desk) – The Indian government on Friday has agreed to issue visas to Pakistan players and the touring media for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held later this year.
According to Indian media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the apex council about Indian government’s decision.
Visas will also be issued to Pakistani journalists for the T20 World Cup in India. However, no decision has been taken yet regarding visas for Pakistani fans.
In February, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani had said that he will demand to shift the T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year out of India in case the hosts refuse to give assurances in writing that it will fulfil all the obligations under the ICC host agreement under which they have to arrange visas for the squad of touring teams, along with of fans, and journalists from across the world.
"Our government has never told us that we can t play (in India). We have agreed with the ICC that we are going to participate and we can t contravene that. At the ICC level, I have clearly said we need a written assurance from the India government that not only our team and squad s visas, we also need visas for fans, journalists and the board officials, but that s also all written in the ICC host agreement and according to that we have put our demand,” Mani told the press in Lahore.
Notably, the next edition of the World T20was scheduled to take place in Australia, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the global tournament.
Mani also came hard on the International Cricket Council (ICC) for being lenient towards the BCCI and laid out an ultimatum till March for the Indian cricket board to submit its written assurances, otherwise, he will seek shifting of the event to the United Arab Emirates. He said that the PCB has all legal and constitutional rights to participate in the tournament and also the ICC already has a plan its place incase the BCCI withdraws its hands from the tournament.
"ICC has also been a bit loose on it as they told us that it will be done by Dec 31, 2020, but it didn t happen. I again raised it in January and in February directly with the ICC chairman, then I talked to ICC management and I told them that I need a clear decision by March. They are saying that by end of March. If it doesn t come, I will demand the shifting of the event from India to UAE,” Mani added.
"It s already been decided that if India can t hold the event it will be shifted to UAE. Legally and constitutionally it s our right to participate in the tournament and nobody can remove us from the tournament and the ICC chairman does realise this.”
