World Cup 2023: Pakistan Cricket Board seeks government intervention to expedite visas for journalists, fans

Pakistan will play their second match of the ongoing Cricket World Cup against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad on Tuesday without the presence of home journalists or fans from their country. The delay has led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to ask the government to get involved and expedite the visa process.

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PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq says the board’s management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf met Pakistan foreign secretary Syrus Sajjad and raised concerns about the visa delays. As per a report, 60 journalists from Pakistan have been accredited to cover the World Cup.

The chairman also requested the Foreign Secretary to take up the issue with India’s Home Ministry through the Pakistan High Commission Office in New Delhi. “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,” Farooq said in a statement to The Indian Express.

PCB has already written to the ICC flagging concerns about the delays faced by journalists and fans. The cricket board had also cited the Members Playing Agreement (MPA) signed by the cricket boards which makes it mandatory for visas to be issued for travelling journalists and fans.

“We have reminded the ICC about their obligations and members’ agreement on issuing visas for fans and journalists and continue to raise concerns with all relevant authorities,” the PCB spokesperson says as per the report.

As per a news agency report, a BCCI source had said that the External Affairs Ministry is vetting the journalists. The applications will need clearance from external affairs, home and sports ministries as Pakistan is on India’s prior reference list (PRC).

Pakistan are playing their first tournament in India since the T20 World Cup in 2016. Back then, the Indian government had issued multi-city visas for the travelling fans and reporters for the matches in Kolkata and Mohali.

Earlier, Pakistan cricket team were also made to wait until the last minute before visas were issued a day before scheduled travel for the warm-up games.