Blind Indian Cricket Team to Compete in Pakistan Despite BCCI-PCB Tensions
New Delhi: The Indian Sports Ministry has granted permission for the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and the Indian blind cricket team to participate in the Blind T20 World Cup in Pakistan, despite ongoing tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the ICC Champions Trophy.
The decision comes as the BCCI has refused to send Rohit Sharma's team to the tournament due to security concerns, while the government has declined to send any Indian national team to Pakistan under current circumstances. However, the Sports Ministry has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the CABI, allowing the blind cricket team to participate in the upcoming tournament.
According to sources, the blind cricket team is now awaiting final clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs before proceeding with the tour. The CABI General Secretary Shailender Yadav expressed optimism about getting necessary clearances soon, stating that it's been 15 days since they received approval earlier in November.
The Blind T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to be held in Pakistan from November 23 to December 3 and will feature teams from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal, and Afghanistan. The CABI emerged as the defending champions after winning the tournament in 2018.
Tensions between the BCCI and PCB over the ICC Champions Trophy have escalated, with the Pakistani government advising the PCB to refrain from playing against India until the issue is resolved at the governmental level.
In a bid to resolve the dispute, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has proposed a hybrid model as a solution. Under this arrangement, the PCB would receive full hosting fees and host majority of the matches in Pakistan if they agree to proceed with the tournament.
India will enter the Blind T20 World Cup as defending champions and games are scheduled to take place in Lahore and Multan. This development comes just days after tensions between BCCI and PCB intensified over the ICC Champions Trophy, which India is set to boycott due to security concerns.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story!