The chief of Pakistan’s blind cricket association said on Tuesday that the T20 Blind World Cup would take place in the country even without the Indian team amid reports from Indian media that the team was pulled out of participating in the tournament.
India confirmed their participation in the Blind World Cup previously in May. Earlier this month, India’s Ministry of Sports permitted its blind cricket team to tour Pakistan for the event, set to be held from November 23 to December 3 in Multan and Lahore.
However, earlier today, India Today reported that the cricket team withdrew from the tournament after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) “denied permission” to travel to Pakistan.
Indian Blind Cricket Association General Secretary Shailendra Yadav confirmed to the outlet that the MEA did not give the team permission to travel to Pakistan and told them to pull out.
“Yadav also revealed that they’re yet to get the official denial letter from the government and have been told verbally about not being granted permission to travel to Pakistan,” the outlet reported.
“It’s a bit sad for cricket in general as cricket is a game for everyone. The match between India and Pakistan is watched intently by fans and both are really good sides. Now Pakistan will get a free walkover and it’s also tragic for the players who’ve been working hard for a long time,” Yadav was quoted as saying by the outlet.
Responding to the development, Pakistan Blind Cricket Council chief Sultan Shah told Dawn.com on Tuesday that the tournament would go on without the Indian team.
“India’s blind cricket council has not yet informed about the withdrawal in writing,” Shah said.
Shah also pointed out that for the T20 Blind World Cup in 2022, the Indian government did not issue visas to the Pakistan team.
The development comes amid uncertainty surrounding next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan as well after the Board of Cricket Control in India informed the International Cricket Council earlier this month that it would not send its team to Pakistan for the tournament scheduled for February 19 to March 9.