LAHORE: Prominent cricket commentator Mohammad Idrees is puzzled after receiving the Indian visa for Delhi and Mumbai where no Pakistan matches in the World T20 are scheduled.

According to Idrees, he is set to leave for India to cover the World T20 matches as a radio commentator but the Indian High Commission in Islamabad issued him the visa of only Delhi and Mumbai, the cities where no match involving Pakistan will be held.

Pakistan are scheduled to play their first-round matches in Kolkata and Mohali. Shahid Afridi-led side open their World T20 campaign with the match against a qualifier on March 16 and then face arch-rivals India, both games to be staged in Kolkata. The green-shirts will then face Australia and New Zealand in Mohali.

“The visa-issuing authorities have instructed me not to visit any other city except Mumbai and Delhi. Now in this very disturbing situation, I’m thinking whether or not I should go to India, simply because [naturally] my first priority will be Kolkata and Mohali,” Idrees stated.

According to Idrees, the visa was issued on March 11, when Pakistan’s match (against India) had already been shifted from Dharamshala to Kolkata, but still visa for Kolkata/Mohali was not issued to him.

As the time was running short, Idrees emphasised it would be very tough for him to manage the situation if the Indian High Commission did not assist him quickly.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2016