KARACHI, Feb 28: PCB chairman Ehsan Mani said the ICC has assured them it will get a written assurance from the BCCI by next month that all its players, officials, fans and journalists will be issued visas for the World T20 Cup to be held in India.
“I have informed the board that the BCCI was supposed to give us visa assurances by 31st December but that didn’t happen because their President, Saurav Ganguly was twice hospitalised,” Mani said.
The PCB chief said it was their right to demand this assurance and no one can keep Pakistan out of the World Cup.
“Either we will be going to the World T20 with full protocols or it will have to be moved elsewhere,” Mani said while insisting that the PCB wanted written assurances that India will issue visas for Pakistan team, fans and journalists.
To a question about whether the World T20 could be shifted to a neutral venue at this late stage, Mani said granting visas for Pakistani nationals was not the only issue confronting the Indian board.
“There is also the problem of tax exemption to the ICC for the event and the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The ICC has already in a contingency planning decided the World T20 can also be moved to UAE if need arose,” he said.
Mani made it clear that Pakistan had no problems with the World T20 being held in India but just wanted to be sure that there are no problems with visas for its team, officials, fans and journalists closer to the tournament. (PTI)
