The pre-World Cup team bonding trip of the Pakistan cricket team to Dubai has been canceled due to delays in obtaining visas for the players to travel to India.
The Pakistan squad had originally planned to travel to the UAE for a brief stay before proceeding to Hyderabad for their first warm-up game against New Zealand. However, due to the visa delay, Pakistan has revised its travel plans and now intends to depart from Lahore to Dubai on Wednesday before heading to Hyderabad.
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Pakistan is currently the only team traveling to India for the World Cup that is still awaiting visas, which has raised concerns among officials. The visa application process was initiated over a week ago, and there is hope that the visas will arrive in time for the players.
Cricketing relations between India and Pakistan have been rare in recent years, and the last ODI bilateral series between the two teams took place in 2012-13. Pakistan has already faced challenges in preparing for the World Cup, including discussions of alternative venues, but the government granted clearance for the team to travel to India in August.
Pakistan’s first warm-up game is scheduled for next Friday in Hyderabad and will be played behind closed doors due to security concerns.
