Clearance hold-up threatens blind cricket team’s World Cup participation in Pakistan amid India's Champions Trophy fallout with PCB

Indian men`s blind cricket team (Pic: @blind_cricket/X)

The Indian blind men's cricket team is currently awaiting crucial clearance from the government to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Pakistan, scheduled to take place from November 23 to December 3.

A report by India Today has claimed that the Indian team has secured a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Sports; however, this clearance is conditional upon the approval of both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). As of now, the team has been in limbo, waiting for the necessary approvals for over two weeks.

Shailendra Yadav, the General Secretary of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), expressed the team's eagerness to receive clarity from the government. "It's been 15 days now that we are waiting for clearance, and we just need yes or no from the government. Last time we visited Pakistan was in 2014 for a bilateral series. In 2018, the government denied the clearance to visit Pakistan and in 2023, the Pakistan team skipped the tournament when it was held in India," he told India Today.

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Yadav highlighted that the team is ready to travel, provided the government gives its approval. "We will go by whatever the government will direct us. If they say yes, we will go and if they say no, we will not go. We just need clarity from the government," he added.

This comes in the wake of the Indian men's team's withdrawal from the Champions Trophy scheduled for next year in Pakistan.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of the Indian team's decision not to participate. This has added an element of uncertainty regarding the participation of Indian teams in cricketing events held in Pakistan.

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How has the Indian blind men's cricket team fared in World Cups so far?

India's blind cricket team has a remarkable track record in the Blind T20 World Cup, having won all three editions of the tournament it has participated in 2012, 2017, and 2022.

In the most recent edition of the tournament, held in 2022, India emerged victorious by a commanding 120-run margin against Bangladesh in the final at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

India posted a formidable total of 277 for 2 in their allotted 20 overs, and then restricted Bangladesh to 157 for 3, completing a dominant and unbeaten campaign.