Pakistan cricket team gets last-minute visa approval for World Cup 2023 in India

With less than 48 hours before their scheduled departure to Hyderabad for the upcoming World Cup, the Pakistan cricket team finally obtained their Indian visas late on Monday evening. This development came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent a strongly-worded letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressing their concerns about the prolonged delay in obtaining Indian visas for the World Cup, set to commence on October 5 in Ahmedabad.

The team, led by captain Babar Azam, will now leave Lahore for Dubai early on Wednesday morning, followed by a flight to Hyderabad in the afternoon. Their first practice match against New Zealand is slated for Friday.

Originally, Pakistan had planned a two-day training camp in Dubai on Monday and Tuesday before their Hyderabad journey. However, due to the visa delay, the PCB had to cancel the camp and reschedule the flights for Wednesday. Frustrated by the delay, the PCB reached out to the ICC about the situation, and it was around 8 PM IST that the Indian High Commission granted the visas for the Pakistani team.