With less than 48 hours to go into Pakistan's arrival in India for the ODI World Cup 2023, the players and the support staff are yet to get their visas. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared the concern with the International Cricket Council (ICC) highlighting the impact it can have on their preparations for the marquee event.
The Pakistan team was scheduled to fly out to Dubai early on September 27 (Wednesday) from where they will arrive in Hyderabad later in the day. Pakistan will play their first warm-up game against New Zealand at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on September 29.
Reiterating those concerns, PCB spokesperson Umar Farooq told PTI: "There has been an extraordinary delay in getting clearance and securing Indian visas for the Pakistan team for ICC World Cup.
"We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup. It's a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan team has to go through the uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.
"We have been reminding about their obligations from last three years and it has all come down to last two days with our first warm game scheduled on September 29. We were forced to cancel our original plan to organise team-building exercise in Dubai on the way to India. We have had to rework our plan and book new flights, but these plans are subject issuance of visas," he said.
The Babar Azam-led side will play their second warm-up game against Australia on October 3 at the same venue. They will begin their World Cup campaign against minnows Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad only.
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