TBS report

November 2, 2024, 1:10 p.m.

Last modified: November 2, 2024, 01:11 pm

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Federal Home Minister, has promised an expedited visa policy for Indian fans wishing to attend the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan early in the year. next year.

His assurance came during a Nov. 1 meeting with a group of Sikh pilgrims from the United States.

Naqvi expressed optimism about a positive response from Indian fans, underlining the PCB’s eagerness to welcome them. “We will reserve a special quota of tickets for Indian fans and will strive to make the visa process quick,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by a national newspaper. He added that the PCB is particularly hopeful that Indian fans will travel to Pakistan to witness the much-awaited clash between India and Pakistan in Lahore.

Scheduled for February to March 2025, the ICC Champions Trophy will mark the hosting of a major ICC event in Pakistan, but the official tournament schedule remains pending as the ICC awaits confirmation on whether the Indian government will allow the team Indian participate in Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that it must adhere to government policy when it comes to any potential tour of Pakistan.

An Indian team has not traveled to Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and there has been no Test series between the two countries since 2007, a long-standing hiatus that has added tension to the rivalry.