Reacting to Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan’s statement of calling for visa assurance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the T20 World Cup 2021, a BCCI official has termed the statement by the PCB CEO as ignorant while saying that all the visa related issues were laid to rest in the last year.
An ICC spokesperson has, meanwhile, said that the visas will be provided to all competing teams and planning for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in India is underway on that basis, indicating no teams will face any issue when it comes to getting necessary clearance to participate in the tournament.
"The Host Agreement for all ICC events, including the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, provides that the host member will ensure visas are provided for all competing teams. The planning for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in India is underway on that basis," an ICC spokesperson told ANI.
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Whereas a BCCI official, reacting to the statement by Khan told ANI: "I think that statement of the PCB CEO stemmed from ignorance. This issue was laid to rest last year itself when the GOI (Government of India) had written to the Presidents of the IOA and the IOC on the issue. So unless he is privy to some future course of action to be taken by Pakistan that would deteriorate the circumstances drastically, it is a non-issue.”
Earlier on June 18, 2019, then sports secretary Radhe Shyam Julaniya had written a letter to Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra after a couple of Pakistan shooters were denied a visa to compete in the ISSF World Shooting Championship in New Delhi. The visa issue led to the International Olympic Committee reconsider the decision to allow India to host international sports events.
"It's the policy of the government that India will hold international sporting events and will permit all qualified athletes belonging to any National Olympic Committee (NOC) recognised by IOC or any national federation affiliated to the international federation concerned to participate. Such participation of athletes shall be without prejudice to our principled positions and policies on other political matters including issues such as international recognition or otherwise of the country of origin of the athletes," Julaniya had written to Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) President Narinder Batra and marked a copy to IOC chief Thomas Bach.
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Lalchand Rajput 'exempted' from travelling to Pakistan
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe cricket team’s head coach Lalchand Rajput was ‘exempted’ from travelling to Pakistan for their three-match T20I and ODI series after the Embassy of India in Harare wrote to them, requesting Rajput to be "exempted" from the tour in line with the travel guidelines for Indian citizens.
Zimbabwe Cricket said in a release that Rajput, a former India international, had the required clearance from the Embassy of Pakistan.
"The Embassy of India in Harare wrote to Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) asking that Rajput, who is an Indian national, be exempted from visiting Pakistan for the limited-overs tour in accordance with the travel guidelines stipulated by the Government of India for its citizens," the release said. "The Embassy of Pakistan in Harare had issued a visa to Rajput."