IND VS PAK WORLD CUP 2023: In Ahmedabad, India, the city is filled with anticipation for the ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan. Thousands of excited cricket fans have flocked to the city, leading to ever-increasing hotel prices and a spike in match-day hospital admissions due to non-availability of hotel rooms. Even the city’s wealthy are taking advantage of cricket fever and renting out their spare homes for as much as $2,500 a night. However, the jubilant atmosphere is spoiled by a glaring absence – Pakistani fans and media are almost absent, barred from attending the much-awaited event.
The Narendra Modi Stadium will be filled with the sounds of over 100,000 enthusiastic supporters for the home team, while the visiting team will have practically no one. The Indian Cricket Board appears to have abdicated its duties towards the International Cricket Council, which include providing access to the media and fans of all participating teams.
This situation has shocked Pakistan cricket lover Farooq Shahzad, a resident of Glasgow. “This is a world phenomenon. Overseas Pakistani residents have found that holding passports from their adopted countries does not increase their chances of getting a visa if they or their ancestors were born in Pakistan.
Let us tell you that Shahzad had booked his ticket for the T20 World Cup played in Australia last year nine months in advance. But due to the delay in announcing the tournament schedule by the Indian board, it was impossible to make such a plan this time.
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Similarly, Haider Israr from Brampton, England, who has traveled the world with his wife for fifteen years, fondly remembers his time spent in India during the 2016 T20 World Cup. However, this time, even as a British citizen, his visa application process may be longer due to his birthplace in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Dubai-based businessman Ashfaq Hussain admitted he “didn’t even have the courage to apply” for a visa after reading media reports on the situation. Visa difficulties have also affected Pakistan’s media representation, with only AFP’s Shahid Hashmi arriving in Ahmedabad a day before the match. But he could not watch two matches of Pakistan and now he has reached Ahmedabad to watch the match between India and Pakistan.
While the Indian government and the cricket board could have facilitated the arrangements for their neighbours, they remained silent on the visa issue. The International Cricket Council has also been quite mild in its response.
India and Pakistan matches require a lot of planning and that’s when fans get to visit each other’s countries. However, for this tournament, the only Pakistani fan present so far is “Chicago Chacha” Mohammad Bashir, an elderly American Pakistani, married to an Indian.
Despite the conspicuous absence of Pakistani fans, the streets of Ahmedabad seem relatively unaffected. Many local residents are hesitant to comment on the situation, while some give great respect to the government’s decision to deny visas. Meanwhile, the city’s tea vendors suggest that the city’s work ethic may explain the apathy.
Tickets for the match have been released in mysterious batches, 14,000 of which were suddenly made available last week. Even an American resident of Indian origin, who had not planned to watch the match, managed to get a ticket through a friend who lives in the same neighborhood as Mr Shah, the key decision-maker at the Indian cricket board.
