Sports

ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan team still awaits Indian visa

PCB has informed ICC about the visa issue, say sources

By Sohail Imran

September 23, 2023

Pakistans players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan. — AFP/File — Pakistan's players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan. — AFP/File

LAHORE: The Pakistan cricket team has not yet been issued visas to fly to India for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, which is set to start on October 5, it emerged on Friday.

According to the sources, the Green Shirts are facing a delay in the issuance of their visas which has worried the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The sources said that the cricket board has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the delay, adding that the visas were supposed to be issued on time as per the agreement signed with the regulatory body.

Moreover, the Indian authorities are not providing any information about the issuance of visas for the team and the cricket fans.

The Men in Green are scheduled to play their first warm-up match on September 29 against New Zealand and were supposed to leave on September 26 for India via Dubai.

The PCB has been in constant contact with the Indian Consulate for the last one week. However, the visas were not issued till Friday — the last working day of the week.

Pakistan's schedule for World Cup

October 6 - vs Netherlands in Hyderabad

October 10 - vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad

October 14 - vs India in Ahmedabad

October 20 - vs Australia in Bengaluru

October 23 - vs Afghanistan in Chennai

October 27 - vs South Africa in Chennai

October 31 - vs Bangladesh in Kolkata

November 4 - vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)

November 11 - vs England in Kolkata

The day matches will start at 10am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 1:30pm (PST).

If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata.

If India qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai unless playing against Pakistan, in which case they will play in Kolkata.

Squad

Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafiq, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), M Wasim Jnr, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir.