Indian Blind Cricket Association says they were waiting for an NOC since 25 days but govt has denied their request
\n Islamabad
\nThe Indian blind cricket team has withdrawn from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after its Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied permission to cross the border, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
\nShailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), has confirmed the development to an Indian media outlet, saying that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for the global event, which will be held from November 23 to December 3.
\nSpeaking to the media outlet, Yadav shared that the blind cricket team received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Sports Ministry but was awaiting the government\u2019s approval.
\nHowever, as per the latest development, the MEA has denied granting permission to the blind team to participate in the upcoming world cup.
\n\u201cWe were waiting for the last 25 days to get permission from the government to go to Pakistan. Now we can\u2019t wait any longer as the tournament is about to begin,\u201d Yadav said.
\n\u201cWhen I talked with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the phone then they told us that we won\u2019t be getting any permission to go to Pakistan and we can cancel your tournament.
\n\u201cThey also told us that we will be getting an official letter of denial as well. However, we haven\u2019t got any official letter yet but on the basis of our conversation with MEA we\u2019ve decided not to go to Pakistan and we will not participate in the Blind T20 World Cup.\u201d
\nHe expressed disappointment over the decision but affirmed that the cricketing association would abide by the MEA\u2019s directives.
\n\u201cAlong with us, England, Australia and New Zealand are also not coming. Hence, India will become the fourth team which will not take part in this tournament,\u201d he claimed.
\nDespite India\u2019s refusal, the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 will proceed as per the schedule.
\n\u201cAll other teams are coming to Pakistan for the World Cup. If one team doesn\u2019t show up, it won\u2019t affect our preparations,\u201d Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) chairman Syed Sultan Shah had stated.
\nThe development came amid reports, suggesting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it will not send its national men\u2019s team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing the directives of the federal government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Indian Blind Cricket Association says they were waiting for an NOC since 25 days but govt has denied their request Islamabad The Indian blind cricket team has withdrawn from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after its Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied permission to cross the border, Indian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-444585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n