PAK vs SL: Pakistan Journalists To Take Part In World Cup Press Conferences Via WhatsApp After India Deny Visa- Report

Unable to travel to India, journalists from Pakistan will be given an opportunity to seek answers from the players during the ongoing 2023 World Cup. Not a single journalist from Pak has been issued a visa by India to cover the marquee event in the country.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already expressed its disappointment over the same and has complained about it to the International Cricket Council (ICC). As per media reports, not a single journalist from Pak was in the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad when Pak opened their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands last week.

“PCB is disappointed to see that Pakistani journalists and fans are facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa to cover Pakistan’s opening game in the ICC World Cup. Pakistani journalists and fans are expressing deep concern and it’s putting us under immense pressure,” a letter from the PCB to the ICC stated.

In reply, an ICC spokesperson said: “We understand the significant role that journalists and passionate fans play in enhancing the spirit and atmosphere of sports events. This is an obligation of our host and they are working hard on it with our full support. Every effort is being made to get this sorted.

ICC’s solution for journalists from Pakistan:

The ICC has now come up with a solution for the time being as the Pak journalists wait for India to give them the green light for the World Cup coverage. The journalists have been given an opportunity to send their questions to an ICC media manager on WhatsApp, thus allowing them to participate in the media conferences. Those questions then will be posed to the Pak representative attending the conference.

“In addition to taking questions from the media present, the Pakistan representative at the media conference will also answer a few questions sent in by members of the Pakistan media who are still to travel for the event,” said a media release sent by the ICC.

Pak will be in action next on Tuesday (October 10) when they lock horns against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Ahead of the game, there will be a press conference. After the Sri Lanka clash, Babar Azam & Co. will travel to Ahmedabad for the high-voltage clash against hosts India.