The pre-World Cup team bonding trip of the Pakistan team to Dubai has been abruptly canceled as the players are still awaiting visas to travel to India.
The Pakistan squad had initially planned to fly to the UAE for a brief stay before proceeding to Hyderabad for their first warm-up game against New Zealand.
However, due to the visa delay, Pakistan has revised its travel plans and now intends to depart from Lahore to Dubai on Wednesday before heading to Hyderabad.
While the situation has been described as “alarming” by some officials, there remains a general sense of optimism that the visas will arrive in time for the players.
The visa application process was initiated over a week ago, but Pakistan currently stands as the sole team traveling to India for the World Cup still awaiting visas.
Visa acquisition for citizens from both neighboring countries has long been a challenging and often futile endeavor due to the current political situation.
Cricketing relations between the two have become increasingly rare, with the last ODI bilateral series occurring in 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India.
Pakistan has already faced challenges, including discussions of alternative venues, with the government granting clearance to travel to India in August.
Pakistan will play their first warm-up game against New Zealand, slated for next Friday in Hyderabad, which will be played behind closed doors due to security concerns.
Source: Pro Pakistani