The Pakistan Cricket Board decided to send as many as 13 PSL 2021 bound players and support staff back to their respective homes after an issue around visa delay.
The news comes to the fore as multiple personnel from Karachi and Lahore weren’t allowed to travel to Abu Dhabi from the commercial flights via Doha.
The PCB will now be sending 13 of those individuals back, expecting “more delays” in the process of visas being issued to them. A sad development for all of those thirteen since they had been in a seven-day hotel quarantine and were looking forward to their UAE departure on Sunday ahead of the PSL 2021, resuming June 1.
However, they could also console themselves, with the PCB mentioning in a media release that these players will be allowed to play the Abu Dhabi leg of the tournament once the visas are “processed”.
“The decision has been made to allow the players and officials to spend time with their families. As soon as the visas are processed, the players will undergo the mandatory PCR tests before boarding the first available commercial flight,”
the board said.
Because of the strict pandemic regulations in place, only five members of the original 17-man touring contingent were initially allowed to fly across to the Middle East earlier on Sunday, which turned out to be the day of chaos for the PSL 2021 organisers.
For the remaining 12 personnel, the PCB said arrangements have been made for them to fly to Abu Dhabi via Bahrain later in the day. Ultimately, the board managed to send all 17 individuals after attaining exemption from the UAE government. These excluding those 13 who couldn’t get their visas cleared.
“We regret the inconvenience that has been caused to some players and officials, but these have been due to unforeseen circumstances and unexpected challenges,”
Babar Hamid, PCB Director – Commercial and HBL PSL 2021 head, was quoted as saying in the release.
“The PCB is working hand in glove with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board, and trying its best to get all participants in Abu Dhabi in time so that we can hold the remaining tournament.”
