India visa delay threatens Pakistan's World Cup preparations

The PCB has expressed its displeasure to the ICC over the delay in the Pakistan team obtaining visas for travel to India for the World Cup, and warned of the adverse impact it could have on Pakistan's preparation for the tournament, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.

The team is scheduled to fly out early morning on Wednesday, but the visas had still not been issued to the squad as of close of working hours on Monday.

The Pakistan board has been in contact with the ICC about the matter, but on Monday, less than 48 hours before the team's scheduled departure and with no visas in hand, it has written to the ICC, saying that such inequitable treatment to Pakistan - they are the only traveling team without visas at the moment - would not be accepted.

The PCB has asked the ICC about the steps the global body is taking to resolve the situation, as well as whether written guarantees had been provided by the hosts - the BCCI, in this case, or the Indian government - that visas would be provided to all participating nations.

As things stand, Pakistan are due to fly out to Dubai in the early hours of Wednesday (September 27), transit there, and then arrive in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening. They are scheduled to play their first warm-up game on Friday, against New Zealand.