Six teams participating in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have reached out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for assistance in obtaining visas for players holding Pakistani passports. The UAE, Oman, Canada, Italy, the USA, and the Netherlands have selected players with Pakistani passports for the tournament to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. These teams are concerned about potential delays in securing Indian visas for their players.
Players from the UAE, Oman, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and the USA, who were born in Pakistan, are encountering challenges in obtaining Indian visas despite holding the nationality of their respective countries. Due to Indian External Ministry regulations, individuals born in Pakistan or with ancestors from Pakistan must apply for visas using Pakistani passports, even if they hold another country’s nationality.
The UAE and Oman players have initiated visa applications, but there are apprehensions that they may not receive clearance to compete in India without intervention from the ICC. The UAE, in particular, faces visa hurdles for players like Mohammad Waseem, Jawad Ullah, and others who were born in Pakistan and do not hold UAE citizenship.
Oman also includes several players of Pakistani origin, such as Fayyaz Butt, Hammad Mirza, and others, who may encounter visa complications. In previous instances, cricketers with Pakistani heritage, like England’s Shoaib Basheer and Australia’s Usman Khawaja, have faced delays in obtaining Indian visas due to their background.
The Netherlands’ cricketers, Sikander and Saqib Zulfiqar, faced visa delays in 2019 despite being born in the Netherlands, as their father has Pakistani roots. This situation highlights the challenges faced by individuals with Pakistani heritage in securing Indian visas for sporting events. Pakistan will play its matches in Colombo during the T20 World Cup, with Sri Lanka as a backup venue for potential semifinals and finals.
