Visa not granted to Pakistan cricket team: Babar Azam’s boys cancel pre-World Cup plans – Magazine Creations

Initially, the Babar Azam-led team was scheduled to leave for the UAE next week for a short stay, before heading to Hyderabad for their first friendly match against New Zealand on September 29.

Pakistan’s opening friendly match against New Zealand will be played behind closed doors in Hyderabad. The reason cited was the lack of police guarantees regarding adequate security measures, coinciding with two major religious festivals in the city on the same day.

While an unnamed official described the situation as “worrying,” there is widespread belief that the visas will be granted in time, ESPNcricinfo reported. Pakistan applied for visas more than a week ago. Of the nine teams traveling to India to participate in the World Cup, Pakistan is the only team still waiting for an entry visa.

The Planning Board had earlier suggested that the World Cup matches would be held in Pakistan outside India, perhaps in Bangladesh. The proposal, which had been put forward for consideration earlier in 2023, was not considered and was eventually rejected in August when the Pakistani government gave the go-ahead for the team to travel to India.

Meanwhile, India got a big boost with a five-wicket win over Australia. This win on September 22 moved them into the coveted position The number one ODI team in the worldbypassing Pakistan.

India currently sits in first place, boasting an impressive ranking of 116, having amassed a total of 4,864 points. The achievement is expected to instill greater confidence in the team, especially considering their dominant performance against Australia in the opening ODI at the Mohali Cricket Stadium.

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Updated: Sep 23, 2023, 01:09 PM IST