The Indian blind cricket team has not been given permission to participate in the Blind T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in Pakistan. This decision has been taken by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs citing security concerns. On Tuesday, the national association confirmed that the Indian blind cricket team will not be able to take part in this competition.
Pakistan is currently preparing to host the Champions Trophy (ICC CT 2025) in their own country. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had already informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the Indian team will not be traveling to Pakistan for this tournament. As a result, the ICC had suggested to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to organize this tournament on a high-quality hybrid model. But despite this, Pakistan, which has acquired the hosting rights, is not ready to adopt this model.
The Blind T20 World Cup in Pakistan is scheduled from November 23 to December 3, 2023. This competition was considered important for India, and the Indian team was scheduled to cross the Wagah border on Wednesday. The Sports Ministry had also issued the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Indian blind cricket team to participate in this tournament. However, the final decision was with the Ministry of External Affairs, which could not grant permission for the team’s Pakistan tour due to security reasons.
Thus, the Indian blind cricket team missed the opportunity to participate in this international competition, which is a disappointing news for the Indian players and their fans. The ongoing concerns about security issues in the field of sports have once again highlighted the importance of stability and security in international sporting events. Now, Pakistan will have to develop new strategies to make their events successful while facing this challenge.