PCB officials finally get visa to attend ICC meeting in India

After much controversy and debate, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi and Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad have been issued visas to attend the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in Kolkata from April 22nd. Previously, there was an air of doubt regarding their visa availability by the Indian government, given the tense political relation between both the nations.

Although there were apprehensions that the PCB officials might face difficulties in getting the Indian visas for the ICC meet, reportedly behind the doors contacts between the ICC and BCCI have resulted in the visas being issued by the Islamabad based Indian High Commission. The issuance of visas come as a breakthrough as in the last 12 to 15 months the Indian High Commission has turned down visa applications from different Pakistani sporting contingents including hockey, squash, blind cricket, wrestling etc.

The PCB officials are slated to reach Kolkata on April 21st for the meetings, at which Pakistan’s security arrangements and organization of the PSL matches and T20 series against the West Indies in Lahore and Karachi will be discussed, a source in the PCB said.

Giles Clarke, the head of the ICC’s special task force on Pakistan cricket, is also due to submit a report on the return of international matches to Pakistan.

Sethi will request to hold the next ICC meeting in Pakistan

Najam Sethi will be using the meetings as an opportunity to convince other board officials to send their teams to Pakistan now, a source privy to the developments revealed. The ICC meetings will also allow Pakistan and Indian board officials to look at existing bilateral relations.

The PCB chief also confirmed the issuance of the visas and said that he would be requesting the ICC to schedule its board meeting sometime in Lahore in 2019. The annual ICC meeting is to be held in Dublin in June, followed by another meeting in October in the West Indies. “We will request the ICC members to have their next meeting in Pakistan sometime next year,” he was quoted saying by Sportsarlive.

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