PCB demands written assurances on visas
Collected
|| CF DESK ||
India's Bumrah, Mandhana win top Wisden cricket awards
22 Apr 25
The forthcoming T20 World Cup 2021 will be held in India. However, it is not certain whether Pakistan will be able to take part there. PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, has said that Pakistan will demand the T20 World Cup to be shifted out of India if Pakistan do not receive any written assurances on visas and safety.
India-Pakistan political enmity has crossed the table of politics and crashed into the playground. The two countries have not played any series since 2007. However, the two countries had a chance to face each other in the global tournaments organized by the ICC.
India-Pakistan last met in the World Cup 2019, England. Pakistan even took part in the 2011 World Cup with India. There are doubts whether Pakistan will be able to play the Twenty20 World Cup. As India had once threatened not to issue visas for Pakistan. That is why Mani is demanding a written document from the ICC to be able to participate in the upcoming tournament.
Bangladesh to play two-match T20I series against UAE ahead of Pakistan tour
2 May 25
"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 reporters in Lahore.
The ICC was supposed to give a written assurance to Pakistan by the end of 2020. Mani said that it is to be sent by the end of March. He demanded that the tournament should be moved from India to the UAE if the ICC could not afford it.
He added, "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."
