PCB boss Zaka Ashraf has raised "serious concerns and alarm" about the continuing delay in visas being issued to Pakistan cricket fans and journalists to travel to the World Cup in India. Disquiet over the delays has been rumbling for a while in Pakistan, and the board has written to the ICC about the issue, but this is the first public statement since the tournament started.
Pakistan have already played one game at the World Cup - against Netherlands in Hyderabad - and play their second against Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the same venue. And on October 14, they take on India in Ahmedabad in perhaps the most anticipated game in the tournament's league phase. At this point, though, it looks like it may have almost no Pakistani presence in the stands and the press box, like has been the case so far.
Ashraf has met Pakistan foreign secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi, requesting him to take the issue up with India's ministry of home ministry.
"The 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," a statement from the board said. "In the meantime, PCB has again reminded ICC and BCCI of their respective obligations.
"The PCB has also taken serious notice of security threats being reported in Indian media and requested the government to evaluate players security in India. The well-being and safety of the Pakistan squad was of paramount importance."
The ICC had said on Friday that it was working with the BCCI to push for visas for up to 60 journalists from Pakistan, accredited by the ICC for the coverage of the event. There is, however, no clarity on how many fans from Pakistan may ultimately be able to cross the border.
Speaking to an independent journalist in Pakistan, former PCB chairman (and ICC president) Ehsan Mani said that the ICC and BCCI had guaranteed that visas for Pakistani nationals would not be an issue.
"Any country that hosts an ICC event signs up to a hosting agreement that clearly says the host country will facilitate the visas of the team, officials, journalists and fans," Mani said. "The ICC should have ensured before the event started that the visas were issued. Between 2019 and 2021, I mentioned in board meetings to both the BCCI and the ICC that visas should be facilitated. Both promised that this would be no problem.
"It is an ICC event, and they should have ensured all of this was resolved before the World Cup started."
The Pakistan cricket team's visas for the tournament were also issued only a day before they were scheduled to fly out, forcing them to cancel a pre-World Cup training camp in Dubai. The team has been in Hyderabad, where they were given a warm reception on arrival, since September 27.