Good news for the Pakistani cricket fans

Good news for the Pakistani cricket fans

Due to the political tensions between Pakistan and India, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested written assurances from the Indian government and the BCCI that the Pakistan national team, fans, and journalists will be allowed to travel to the country for the T20 World Cup. ------------------------------

PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani, confirmed that if the assurances were not provided, PCB will take the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and request the event to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mani added that it is the responsibility of the host board to guarantee visa issuance for all the teams participating in the tournament.

Sources close to the BCCI have revealed that there has been a positive development in this regard. Indian government might provide a written assurance for the Pakistan cricket team, their fans, and journalists to travel to the country. The likelihood of providing a written assurance has increased ever since the Pakistan and Indian governments agreed to a ceasefire at the LoC. ------------------------------

------------------------------

According to a BCCI official, the Indian government will have the last say on the visas for the Pakistani contingent and BCCI has no issues if they are granted permission. He added that they are still uncertain whether the fans will be allowed in the stadium due to the COVID-19 situation, but if the ICC permits, they have no problem with Pakistani fans getting permission to enter the country.

The World T20 is scheduled to be held in India in October/November, but ICC is still unsure if the tournament will go ahead as planned. ICC chief stated that it might prove to be a challenging task to host a sixteen-team tournament during a pandemic.