ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday it was “extremely disappointed” that Pakistani fans and journalists were facing visa delays for the World Cup tournament in India, urging Islamabad to take up the matter with the Indian government. 

When Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s team arrived in Hyderabad last month, they were pleasantly surprised to receive a warm welcome at the airport. However, they have lamented a lack of support from the stands as their fans remain stranded in Pakistan.

Around 60 Pakistani journalists are expected to make the trip for the World Cup. Pakistan had plenty of local support for their World Cup opener against Netherlands in Hyderabad on Friday but no member of their media contingent or fan was present. Cricket has been a victim of a soured political relationship between the neighbors and bitter rivals, who play each other only in multi-team events like the World Cup.

“PCB is extremely disappointed to see that journalists from Pakistan and fans are still facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa to cover Pakistan games in ICC World Cup 2023,” the board said in a statement. 

The board said it has again reminded the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about their respective obligations and of the conditions stipulated in the Host agreement to guarantee visas for fans and journalists of participating teams.

The board said PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi to raise his concerns over the issue. The PCB official urged Pakistan’s government to discuss the issue with India’s home ministry via the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, the statement added. 

Ashraf also took note of Indian media reports about security threats and requested the government to evaluate players’ security in the country. 

“He emphasized that the well-being and safety of the Pakistan squad was of paramount importance,” the PCB statement added. 

Visas for the Pakistan team itself were granted barely 48 hours before they left for what is their first tour of India since the T20 World Cup in 2016.

Earlier this week, the ICC told Indian media it was working with the BCCI to ensure visas for Pakistani fans and journalists were issued. 

“This [visa] is an obligation of our host [BCCI] and they are working hard on it with our full support. Every effort is being made to get this sorted,” an ICC spokesperson told India’s PTI news agency.

Pakistan began their campaign on the field with an easy victory over the Netherlands on Friday. They next take on Sri Lanka in a match between two former champions on Tuesday. On Oct. 14, Pakistan take on arch-rivals India in arguably the most anticipated match of the tournament.