LAHORE: The government has issued the NOC to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for sending the national squad to India to participate in the ICC World Twenty20 being held there from March 8 to April 3.

“As per the [government] decision, the Pakistan team has been allowed to participate in the matches of the ICC World T20 scheduled at various venues in India. The permission has been given specifically for the World T20,” a PCB press release issued here on Thursday stated.

“Since the government advise is in respect of the security of the members of cricket team and Pakistani nationals would be adhered to in letter and spirit,” it added.

It is learnt that the government had also handed over specific instructions to the PCB to ensure the safety of the entire Pakistan squad in India, since the situation is not exemplary for Pakistanis as some artists and politicians in recent times faced untoward situation while visiting India.

Meanwhile, PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan, who is currently in Dhaka, said: “I am pleased that our government has given its consent for our team to visit India. As a duty of care, we have asked the ICC to put in place special arrangements for the Pakistan team while in India we will also be expecting visa facilitation and other arrangements for the Pakistani fans wishing to visit India for the World T20.”

Pakistan will play their first match at the World T20 against a qualifier team in Kolkata on March 16, before taking on arch-rivals India in a high-profile game in Dharamsala three days later.

They also play New Zealand (March 22) and Australia (March 25) in the opening round.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2016