BCCI Official Surprised By Ehsan Mani's Comments On Visa Assurance For Pakistan Players

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has created a minor controversy ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in the October-November window. Ehsan Mani wrote to the BCCI that they require written confirmation from India that their fans, media, journalists, and players will receive visas. He also declared that he would raise the point with ICC in a meeting.

Simultaneously, Ehsan Mani also declared that the Pakistan cricket team would be travelling to India with full protocols in place or the tournament should occur elsewhere. With the tax exemption COVID-19 pandemic in place, ICC could also face a tax exemption problem. And ICC has put a contingency plan in place and the competition could take place in the UAE. And Mani’s hostile comments on this topic has not gone down well with the BCCI.

A BCCI official commented that Ehsan Mani’s comments was surprising, given that he shares an amicable working relationship with President Sourav Ganguly at the ICC. The representative also revealed that Mani has guided Ganguly on several occasions; hence, such immature statements were unaccepted.

“It was surprising to read Ehsan Mani’s comments, especially in the background of the wonderful working relationship that he shares with Sourav Ganguly at the ICC. He is a gentleman and in fact been a guide for Sourav during the pandemic along with Shashank Manohar. One can’t help but think that it is very immature of Mani to give a statement like this,” the official said as quoted by ANI News.

If they want to make it a political issue, it is of course their wish: BCCI

India’s cricket Board speculated that Pakistan seem to finding ways out of the tournament and it’s their wish if they want to make this a political matter. BCCI further stated that visa matters are not even under their jurisdiction and that it comes under the Indian government’s purview.

“It is almost as if he is desperately looking for a way out of his team playing in the tournament or he is grandstanding for some constituency back home. If they want to make it a political issue, it is of course their wish. They do know that a cricket board of a country has absolutely no local standing to give any assurance on an issue, which is not in their purview and is firmly in the decision-making sphere of the government,” he added.

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