ICC Steps In to Fast-Track Visas for Pakistani-Origin Players Ahead of T20 World Cup

After reports said that some players of Pakistani origin were waiting for Indian visas for the ICC T20 World Cup, the ICC stepped in to help. The council worked with the authorities to make the visa process easier for everyone. In total, this helped 42 players get their visas without trouble. Among the England players, spinners Adil Rashid, Rehan Ahmed, and fast bowler Saqib Mahmood are players of Pakistani origin. For the USA, the players are Ali Khan and Shayan Jahangir, while the players for the Netherlands are Zulfiqar Saqib.

According to the news agency PTI, the visas for Rashid, Rehan, and Saqib from England have been already approved. The players as well as the team members of the Netherlands have received their visas, and the team member, Shah Saleem Zafar, representing Canada, has also obtained the visa.

ICC Steps In to Fast-Track Visas for Pakistani-Origin Players Ahead of T20 World Cup

The acquisition of the visas for players and team members with Pakistani origins in teams representing the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Italy, and Canada is in progress. This is in addition to the acquisition of the team members’ visas for the teams in the Netherlands and Canada, whose deadline for the acquisition is January 31.

These are a crucial first step in light of the widespread representation from countries of Pakistani descent in both Associate and Full Members. The initiative by the ICC stretches across cricketers, officials, and standbys from a range of countries, reflecting the ICC’s intention not to have any problems at the eleventh hour prior to the occurrence of the world-cup tournament. The ICC, in its capacity as a controller of the coordination exercise, has kept in touch with Indian High Commissions located in a range of cities around the world.

The council has been assured that the pending cases will be dealt with effortlessly within the required time. As the visa facilitation processes are taking place in the planned schedule, the ICC is hopeful that all teams participating in the event are set to be made logistically ready before the start of the tournament on February 7. Visas requested by Pakistani-origin applicants take longer than normal processing times.