Haris Rauf and Indian team - (Source: AFP)
A new issue has been placed at the helm of ICC, a month ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as participating nations with players of Pakistani descent are having trouble obtaining an Indian visa for the upcoming T20 tournament. Teams like the USA, Oman, UAE, Italy, and Canada have a lot of stars with Pakistani passports or origin from Pakistan.
The respective boards have written to the ICC and BCCI regarding the same, but have not received any response. Notably, India and Sri Lanka will host the T20 World Cup 2026 starting from February 7. The prestigious event is just 30 days away, and teams are panicking regarding the visa issue.
A report from Geonews stated that the cricket boards of five teams set to feature in the 2026 T20 World Cup have already approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the issue. Further, they are set to write collectively to the ICC to quickly resolve the issue.
Why are Pakistan-based cricketers finding it difficult to obtain Indian visas?
The tensions between India and Pakistan are at an all-time high. The situation worsened in March 2025 when Pakistan carried out a terror attack in Pahalgam that took the lives of 26 innocent civilians. In response, India carried out attacks and which led to a war-like situation between the two nations.
In a diplomatic move, India stopped communication access from Pakistan, and visa services also took a hit. Therefore, players with Pakistani origins are finding it difficult to obtain timely visas for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Why are Pakistan team not worried about visas?
Interestingly, Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13. Even for ICC tournaments, India have not travelled to Pakistan and usually opts for a hybrid model.
Therefore, the Men in Green also decided to follow India’s footsteps, and the PCB made an agreement with the BCCI that they will also go hybrid.
Therefore, for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan will play all of their matches in the Island Nation.
Talking about the World Cup, 20 participating teams have been divided into five groups of four, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage. The Super Eight will then feature two groups of four teams each.
The first semi-final is scheduled for 3 March, followed by the second semi-final on 5 March, with the grand finale set for 8 March in Ahmedabad or Colombo. Notably, if Pakistan reaches the final, then the mega-event will take place in Colombo.
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