Will ICC Give ‘Assurance’ to Pakistan For T20I World Cup?

T20I World Cup has been scheduled in October-November this year and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked International Cricket Council (ICC) for an ‘Indian guarantee’ that it will issue visas to Pakistani spectators, journalists, and board officials. 

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said in case India denied issuing a ‘written assurance’, the board will request ICC to shift the venue to United Arab Emirates (UAE).

However, the decision about the venue would be concluded by the end of March.

Speaking in a press conference, the PCB officials mentioned that India has to handle three major challenges while hosting the T20I World Cup 2021.

They include visas in written form ahead of the event, tax exemption, and the coronavirus pandemic.

They further emphasized that India might need to extend its cooperation and provide strict security to Pakistan.

PCB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan assumed that there are high chances that the ICC T20I World Cup would be shifted to UAE as uncertainty remained in India due to the coronavirus pandemic situation.

Moreover, the situation will be cleared after conducting a home series against England and an IPL, which was scheduled in the first quarter of 2021.

Khan emphasized that PCB was expecting a written confirmation on the issuance of visas to Pakistan from the ICC and BCCI by January 2021 however it did not happen.

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ICCChief Executive Officer (CEO) Manu Sawhney said that after Pakistan Super League (PSL) was postponed due to an increase in coronavirus cases, odds are that the T20I World Cup in India may not go “as per plan”.

He added that implementing protocols in a bilateral series was very different than hosting an event involving 16 teams.

Back in 2016, Pakistani team was granted multi-city visas when the team played T20I championship in India two months after attack of Pathankot.