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The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) on Monday stated that the departure of its team for the T20 World Cup in India has been delayed because of visa-related issues. The tournament is slated to be played from December 6 to 17 across nine cities and is being organised by the Blind Cricket Federation of India.
An official of the PBCC stated that he was not sure if the board would be able to send its team as the departure has already been delayed. The opening ceremony of the T20 World Cup was held on Monday, at the Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium in Gurugram. The official also stated that they have also asked the Pakistan cricket board for help.
"We have still not been issued visas by Indian authorities," a PBCC official said. "We have applied for the visas since 23rd November and have also sent a letter to the Blind Cricket Council to look into the matter. We have even asked for help from the Pakistan Cricket Board," he added.
Six teams are to participate in the 12-day event, including hosts India, Bangladesh, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, and Pakistan. The Men in Green will be playing against India on December 8 after playing South Africa a day earlier.
Talking about the opening ceremony, many important individuals were present for the event like the Sports & Youth Affairs Minister for Haryana Sandeep Singh, Dr GK Mahantesh, the president of CABI, and former Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who is also the brand ambassador for the tournament. Other dignitaries at the event were the Secretary General of the World Blind Cricket Ltd. Raymond Moxley and actress Harshika Punaccha.